Peanut butter could become tainted at other plants –

In April 2007, ConAgra Food Inc. announced that the source of salmonella in its peanut butter was likely the result of a series of floods that the plant experienced in August 2006. In a news release, the company stated that after its investigation, it could not conclusively pinpoint the cause of the contamination. However, ConAgra believes that “moisture inadvertently entered the production process and allowed the growth of low levels of dormant Salmonella in the environment that were likely present from raw peanuts or peanut dust.”

Hundreds of people in almost all states were sickened with Salmonella after eating contaminated jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter. All jars purchased since October 2004 that started with the product code “2111” were part of the recall, as were some Peter Pan “single-packs.” The peanut butter was produced at ConAgra’s Sylvester, GA plant.

Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said that this incident raises concerns about how peanut butter and other foods are processed.

"It's a call to all of us to be thinking about if it can happen in the ConAgra plant in Georgia, why couldn't it happen in some other peanut butter plant?” Dr. Acheson told the Associated Press. “And I think the answer is it could.”

For its part, ConAgra stated that the company will do everything in its power to prevent a Salmonella or similar outbreak from occurring again. “We are truly sorry for any harm that our peanut butter products caused and intend to resolve claims related to peanut butter fairly and expeditiously," said Gary Rodkin, ConAgra Foods' chief executive officer. "We will make significant investment in and changes to the manufacturing environment to ensure this situation does not occur again.”

That may be small relief to the hundreds who already got sick eating the tainted peanut butter. Thankfully, though, no one died of Salmonella poisoning as of ConAgra’s April 2007 announcement. But it certainly raises the question about how contamination can still occur in this day and age – and why people in the richest country in the world are still put at risk by the food supply.

If you or a loved one were diagnosed with Salmonella poisoning from tainted Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter, contact a Jim S. Adler & Associates personal injury attorney. The firm has more than 30 years of experience, protecting the rights of clients and getting them the compensation they deserve for their medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Call Jim S. Adler & Associates directly or fill out the form on this page with the details of your Salmonella poisoning for a free case review.

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