News tagged with 'Peanuts'

Last month a New York plant that processes pistachios failed to pass a health test.  Today it is the focus of a nationwide salmonella investigation in pistachios.  Two million have been recalled and consumers are told not to eat anything containing the nut. So far no one has been sickened.

While the peanut salmonella cases took months before federal regulators announced recalls, the pistachio salmonella outbreak was identified quickly thanks to inspectors working for Kraft, while new FDA leadership called for a recall immediately. 

Pistachio nuts are the latest focus of an FDA recall due to salmonella contamination. Several people have been sickened though the type of salmonella found in the nuts has not yet been positively linked to their illness. 

Public perception and a failure of state and federal regulators has shaken up the lucrative peanut industry at a time when sales should be soaring. The nationwide salmonella outbreak continues but with a moderate decline. Meanwhile the source of the outbreak, PCA has filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

There has been a shakeup in the new Department of Agriculture Peanut Standards Board.  Stewart Parnell of Peanut Corporation of America was asked to leave.  The board advises the federal government on the handling standards for peanuts grown and marketed domestically as well as imported.  His company is at the center of a nationwide recall due to salmonella.

The state of Georgia, inspecting the Blakely peanut processing plant, found numerous violations. The states conduct inspections for the Food and Drug Administration, as it is overwhelmed by pharmaceutical and medical device issues.  A new direction could change the focus of the agency once a new head is named.