New Law Blogs

PCA Closes Plainview Plant

By PritzkerLaw

Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has closed its Plainview, Texas, plant after lab tests indicated the possible presence of Salmonella in some products.

The shutdown comes one month after (PCA) closed its peanut processing plant in Blakely, Georgia. Federal officials have identified the Georgia plant as the cause of a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that has sickened more than 600 people in 44 states.

After PCA notified the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) about the tests in Plainview, state officials asked that the plant be shut down. DSHS said it does not appear that any of the implicated products have reached consumers. The products include peanut meal, granulated peanuts and dry roasted peanuts.

Officials are working to determine if the Salmonella possibly found in products at the Plainview plant is a match to the outbreak strain. Meanwhile, Texas health officials are developing specific criteria for the company to meet before the plant can resume production. The state said it is not aware of any illnesses associated with products from the Plainview facility.

Salmonella in PCA's Georgia plant has led to the largest recall of products in U.S. food poisoning history. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said 1,790 products made by hundreds of different companies contain peanut butter, peanut paste or other ingredients made by PCA and recalled over Salmonella concerns. 

Congress and the FBI are investigating PCA's practices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration already has determined that products were shipped from the Georgia plant on at least two occasions after they had tested positive for Salmonella.

PCA also is facing a peanut butter wrongful death lawsuit filed by PritzkerOlsen Attorneys on behalf of the heirs of Shirley Mae Almer, 72, of Perham, Minn. Mrs. Almer died Dec. 21 after eating peanut butter made by PCA. She became infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella and died at a hospital in Brainerd.

In Minnesota, there are 39 confirmed cases of Salmonella that match the outbreak strain. Besides Mrs. Almer, two other Minnesota deaths are associated with the outbreak. The family of victim Doris Flatgard, 87, also has hired PritzkerOlsen to represent them in actions against PCA.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on February 10, 2009 (boomark / email).