Officials: Firm knew about salmonella, shipped anyway

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http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-lisalm2812403343jan28,0,1063424.storyOfficials: Firm knew about salmonella, shipped anywayBY DELTHIA RICKSdelthia.ricks10:52 PM EST, January 27, 2009Operators of the Georgia peanut-processing plant at the center of a nationwide salmonella outbreak knew of bacteria at the facility as early as 2007, but continued to ship their peanut butter and paste to dozens of companies, federal health officials said yesterday. An investigation of the Peanut Corporation of America's plant in Blakely, Ga., has revealed at least four strains of salmonella associated with the facility, investigators from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio n said. The company received tests from private labs revealing salmonella contamination in 2007, but then got further sampling showing the facility to be salmonella-free, federal officials said yesterday. The FDA will post the investigation's findings on its Web site today. More than 500 people are known to have been sickened by one of the strains, which may have contributed to the deaths of eight people. Federal investigators have not yet linked any illness to the other three strains. PCA shipped products to more than 70 companies and institutions, including nursing homes and schools. The CDC's Dr. Robert Tauxe said inspectors had visited at least 1,000 firms that used PCA products. PCA spokesman George Clarke would not address questions yesterday, but issued a statement from the company's Virginia headquarters. "PCA has cooperated fully with FDA from day one during the course of this investigation. We have shared with them every record they have asked for that is in our possession and we will continue to do so." Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said his agency had to use special federal powers gained since 9/11 under the Bioterrorism Act to obtain full access to company records. "This was clearly a violation of good manufacturing practices," Sundlof told reporters yesterday. Releasing foods for public consumption when bacterial contamination is found flouts public health law, Sundlof added. "Foods are supposed to be produced under conditions that are not injurious to health," he said. Sundlof called the contamination at the plant "technically a violation of the law," but wouldn't say whether PCA's actions were criminal. Rodents are a known source of salmonella, but the FDA could not explain yesterday how the bacteria got into the plant. The facility was closed last week. PCA, a relatively small, family-owned company, operates a second site in Plainview, Texas. A worker there yesterday told Newsday its products are still being shipped nationally. The plant ships oil-roasted and dry peanuts to industrial customers. Michael Rogers, FDA director of field investigations, led inspectors who conducted tests at the Blakely plant beginning Jan. 9. The probe involved taking microbiological samples and examining company records of tests performed by private laboratories. It was those records that showed evidence of contamination dating back two years. "The team identified approximately 12 instances in 2007 and 2008 where the firm identified some type of salmonella . . . in environmental samples," Rogers said yesterday, noting PCA still sent peanut butter and paste to customers, who unwittingly used them in ready-to-eat products. =====In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.