Responding to reports of shoddy sanitation practices and inspections, federal health officials have opened a criminal investigation into the Georgia peanut-processing plant at the center of the national salmonella outbreak. Officials say Peanut Corp. of America sold tainted peanut products to food makers. At least 529 people have been sickened as a result of the outbreak, and at least eight may have died because of it. More than 430 products have been recalled.
Archive for January, 2009
Gov’t launches criminal probe in peanut recall
Published January 31, 2009 Health Alert , Recall Leave a CommentTags: peanut butter, peanut butter recall, Peanut Corporation of America, peanut paste, salmonella, salmonella outbreak
Peanut company recalls all of its products
Published January 29, 2009 Health Alert , News , Recall Leave a CommentTags: peanut butter, peanut butter recall, Peanut Corporation of America, peanut paste, salmonella, salmonella outbreak, salmonella typhimurium
The Peanut Corp. of America has recalled all peanuts and peanut products processed at its Blakely, Ga., facility since Jan. 1, 2007. Previously, PCA announced a recall of only peanut butter and peanut paste. The Georgia PCA plant, which sells its products to institutional and industrial users for service in large institutions or for further processing by other companies, has been identified as the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has resulted in the death of eight people and more than 500 cases of illness. PCA does not sell peanuts or peanut products directly to consumers in stores.
KV Pharmaceutical to recall most products
Published January 26, 2009 Health Alert , News , Recall Leave a CommentTags: ADD, drug recall, KV Pharmaceutical, painkillers
Shares of KV Pharmaceutical plummeted to an all-time low Monday morning after the company said it would recall most of its products and halted its manufacturing and shipping operations. The announcement followed two product recalls in November and December linked to oversize tablets, including painkillers and attention-deficit disorder drugs, which could deliver dangerously large doses.
FDA: 125-plus products recalled in peanut outbreak
Published January 22, 2009 Health Alert , News , Warning Leave a CommentTags: Austin crackers, FDA, Keebler crackers, King Nut, peanut butter, peanut butter recall, Peanut Corporation of America, peanut paste
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.
FDA: ‘Postpone’ eating foods containing peanut butter
Published January 20, 2009 Health Alert , News , Warning 1 CommentTags: FDA, King Nut, Parnell's Pride, peanut butter recall, Peanut Corporation of America, peanut paste, salmonella outbreak, salmonella typhimurium
The Food and Drug Administration says Americans should “postpone” eating cookies, crackers, candy and ice cream that contain peanut butter or peanut paste while the agency works to establish which products are tainted with the strain of salmonella typhimurium which has sickened 474 people nationwide and is implicated in six deaths.
Peanut butter being recalled in Salmonella outbreak
Published January 14, 2009 Health Alert , News , Recall Leave a CommentTags: King Nut, Parnell's Pride, peanut butter recall, Peanut Corporation of America, salmonella
Peanut Corporation of America on Tuesday voluntarily recalled peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Georgia processing facility because it could be contaminated with Salmonella food poisoning. The peanut butter being recalled is sold by PCA in bulk packaging to distributors for institutional and food service industry use. It is also sold under the brand name Parnell’s Pride to those same industries. Additionally, it is sold by the King Nut Company under the label King Nut.
Minn. Confirms Tainted Peanut Butter Link to Salmonella Outbreak
Published January 13, 2009 Health Alert , News Leave a CommentTags: King Nut, Parnell's Pride, peanut butter, salmonella
Lab tests on a tainted tub of peanut butter produced a genetic match to the strain of salmonella that has struck nationwide, Minnesota health officials reported Monday. Meanwhile, the victim toll has risen to 410 people in 43 states, according to U.S. health officials, who also said Monday that the illness may have caused three deaths.
Salmonella prompts peanut butter recall
Published January 11, 2009 Health Alert , News Leave a CommentTags: King Nut, Parnell's Pride, peanut butter recall, salmonella
An Ohio distributor says it has recalled two brands of its peanut butter after an open container tested positive for salmonella bacteria. King Nut Companies said in a statement issued Saturday that it has asked customers to stop distributing all peanut butter under its King Nut and Parnell’s Pride brands with a lot code that begins with the numeral “8.” The brands are distributed only through food service providers and are not sold directly to consumers.
Actavis to shut down plants until issues fixed
Published January 9, 2009 News 2 CommentsTags: Actavis, Actavis Totowa, Digitek recall, digoxin, FDA, Food and Drug Admistration, Little Falls, N.J.
Generic drugmaker Actavis has agreed to shut down several plants in New Jersey until they meet U.S. quality standards for the testing and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. In April, Actavis recalled its generic heart drug Digitek because some tablets may have been twice as thick as they were supposed to be, which would have doubled the dose and created a greater risk of side effects.
FDA sends out more diet pill alerts; criminal charges possible
Published January 7, 2009 Health Alert , News , Warning Leave a CommentTags: diet drug, diet pills, FDA, weight loss, weight loss supplement
The Food and Drug Administration is adding an additional 41 products to an alert about tainted diet pills issued late last month, bringing the total to 69, officials said Wednesday. “I think it’s fair to say that we have a major initiative investigation ongoing into this type of product,” an FDA official said in an interview. “There is definitely the possibility that there could be criminal charges.”
