FDA: 125-plus products recalled in peanut outbreak
Source of Article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jeLgwCG-FEEYH8KZ7Tt45zOdSIKgD95RQ3180 WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 125 products have been recalled in a
salmonella-and-peanuts investigation that keeps getting bigger, federal
health officials said Wednesday. The list ranges from goodies like cookies and ice cream to energy bars.
Even food for pooches may not be entirely safe, with a national company
recalling some of its dog treats. On Tuesday, PetSmart recalled seven kinds of its Grreat
Choice dog biscuits. On Wednesday, the weight loss company NutriSystem was
among the latest caught up in the investigation, issuing a recall for peanut
butter granola bars. Last week, Kellogg recalled some of its Austin and Keebler brand peanut butter crackers. Salmonella was
confirmed in a package of To help consumers, the Food and Drug Administration has set up on its Web
site a searchable database of recalled peanut products. "We expect (the)
number to continue to increase," said Stephen Sundlof,
head of the FDA's food safety program. No major brands of peanut butter sold
in jars are implicated. Peanut butter is not normally thought of as a high-risk product for
salmonella. The bacteria, a frequent source of food
poisoning, is supposed to be killed off in the roasting process. In this investigation, the common denominator is that all the products
contain peanut paste or peanut butter made at a Peanut Corp. of America plant
in Blakely, Ga. Originally the problem appeared limited to peanut butter shipped in big
tubs to institutional customers like nursing homes. But then peanut paste was
implicated. Made from ground roasted peanuts, it is used as an ingredient in
dozens of other products sold directly to consumers. At least 486 people in more than 40 states have gotten sick since the
outbreak began in the fall. Six have died. Investigators found salmonella contamination at the PCA plant, which has
suspended production. In one of the curious twists in the investigation, the
salmonella strain at the plant is not an exact match to the one that has
gotten people sick, the FDA said. However, the outbreak strain has been
positively identified in a sample from an unopened jar of peanut produced at
the Sundlof suggested it doesn't much matter whether
health authorities get a perfect match at the plant. "Having salmonella
in the plant is not supposed to happen," he said. "Regardless of
whether it's the outbreak strain or not, that represents a violation." Salmonella has been found in a floor crack and on the floor near a wall
where pallets are stored, he said. Although PCA is a small company, it lists more than 70 food companies as
its customers. "Peanut paste is used in a huge variety of other
foods," said Dr. Robert Tauxe, who is
directing the investigation for the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. A noted food safety scientist said manufacturers have to be careful that
peanuts don't get contaminated after roasting. That's partly because peanut
butter itself can't be heated to kill the bacteria without making it
unpalatable to eat. "Once the salmonella gets into the peanut butter, you are not going
to kill it," said Michael Doyle, head of the After roasting, peanuts can be contaminated if they somehow come into
contact with tainted water, or if birds or rodents get into the plant. They
can also be cross-contaminated by equipment that is used to handle raw
ingredients. Raw peanuts can harbor salmonella, just like other agricultural
products. "If there are fork lifts in the raw ingredient area, they can't go
into the other part of the plant, because they could be bringing in untreated
material," Doyle said. Federal and state officials would not discuss
details of the investigation at the The FDA's Sundlof said it's rare for dogs to get
salmonella illness, but that their owners can pick up the bacteria by handling
tainted biscuits. On the Net:
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