Georgia Connection To Salmonella Outbreak

The current salmonella outbreak has a Georgia connection. The Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday that peanut butter and peanut paste made from ground roasted peanuts, manufactured in Peanut Corp.’s Blakely, Georgia, plant were found to contain the bacteria.
The FDA is advising consumers to not eat foods that contain peanut butter until they can be they are sure they do not contain salmonella contaminated products manufactured by the Peanut Corp. of America.
To date six deaths may have been connected to this salmonella outbreak, and over 500 people have been reported ill from salmonella.
The FDA does not have the authority to order a recall of products. It has to rely on companies doing so voluntarily. Congress would have to pass a law to give the FDA such power.
On Friday, Peanut Corp. announced an expanded recall of peanut butter and peanut paste produced from its Georgia plant. Peanut Corp. doesn’t directly supply to supermarkets, so brand-name peanut butters are not expected to be affected. Instead, Peanut Corp. sells produce in bulk. The peanut paste is used in the manufacturing of cakes, candies, crackers, cookies and ice cream.
A list of recalled products can be found at the FDA website at:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html#recalls
The FDA is urging companies that make these foods to check whether they use peanut butter or paste produced by the company. The recalled peanut butter was manufactured on or after August 8, 2008 and the peanut paste was produced on or after September 26, 2008.