January 28, 2009

To: GMA Members

From: Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President and Chief Science and Regulatory Affairs Officer

Subject: URGENT Update on Salmonella Recall

It is our understanding that the current recall of peanut butter and peanut paste produced by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) will be expanded to ALL products coming out of the PCA facility in Blakely, Georgia after January 1, 2007. The list of products will include, but is not limited to:

All whole peanuts (dried, roasted or raw)
Granulated peanuts
Peanut meal
Peanut butter
Peanut paste

This expansion will be requested based on new information acquired by FDA during their recent investigation of the Blakely Plant. We are uncertain when PCA and FDA will publicly announce the expanded recall. However, it is anticipated that the announcement could generate significant media attention.

Although FDA has not asked for input at this particular time, we anticipate that they will again ask that companies that are included in the expanded recall notify FDA. We assume they will rely on the same mechanism (email or fax) for notifying them as in the original recall. However, we cannot confirm that at this time. We will forward this information as it becomes available. In addition, we anticipate that FDA will be asking that those firms who did NOT source peanut butter or paste, confirm that that this is still true for the expanded list of products so that FDA can more quickly narrow the scope of the expanded recall.