Lynne Terry (aka “peanut girl”) of the Oregonian continued to break the story yesterday that Colorado Health Officials have traced six Salmonella illnesses to the now closed Peanut Corporation of America’s (PCA’s) Plainview, Texas plant of Peanut Corporation of America. Efoodalert posted on her blog on the 10th that at least three folks from Colorado with Salmonella were linked to this plant.
Until Lynne broke the story in mainstream media, “federal authorities had identified the company’s plant in Blakely, Georgia as the [only] source of the outbreak that has sickened nearly 640 people and killed nine.” According to Lynn, “epidemiologists in Denver told [her] on Friday that they have linked six new cases to the [Texas] plant….”
For those who may have forgotten, Texas health authorities on Thursday ordered the recall of all peanut-related ingredients ever shipped from the plant, which had operated since 2005 without an inspection after they found bird feathers, dead rodents and feces in the plant.
What on Wednesday was clearly the largest food recall in US history, will now become larger due to the volume of product produced in Texas. Here is a question for the FDA – what about PCA’s Virginia plant?