Peanut Plant Was Cited for
Violations Source of Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27peanuts.html?_r=3&ref=health By
RONI CARYN RABIN Published:
January 26, 2009 The
plant in Inspections of the plant in Blakely, Ga., by the State
Agriculture Department found areas of rust that could flake into food, gaps
in warehouse doors large enough for rodents to get through, unmarked spray
bottles and containers and numerous violations of other practices designed to
prevent food contamination. The plant, owned by the Peanut Corporation of
America of Lynchburg, Va., has been shut down. A
typical entry from an inspection report, dated Aug. 23, 2007, said: “The
food-contact surfaces of re-work kettle in the butter room department were
not properly cleaned and sanitized.” Additional entries noted: “The
food-contact surfaces of the bulk oil roast transfer belt” in a particular
room “were not properly cleaned and sanitized. The food-contact surfaces of
pan without wheels in the blanching department were not properly cleaned and
sanitized.” A
code violation in the same report observed “clean peanut butter buckets
stored uncovered,” while another cited a “wiping cloth” to “cover crack on
surge bin.” Tests on samples gathered on the day of that inspection were
negative for salmonella. At
a later inspection, on Dec. 14, 2007, no violations were noted, but the
report said the plant was “shut down for cleaning.” The
inspection reports were provided by State
officials said they could not release two recent inspection reports from 2008
because of the continuing investigation into the plant. The state performs
the inspections on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration as part of a
contractual agreement with the federal agency, the officials said. Representatives
of the Peanut Corporation of The
salmonella outbreak has sickened almost 500 people around the country and is
linked to seven deaths. More than 125 products containing peanut butter or
peanut paste from the |
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