Food Safety: Georgia Plant Knowingly Shipped Contaminated Peanuts; Study Corn Syrup to Toxic Mercury

[Guest guest]

No transcript that I can see, but you can watch the video on this site.===========http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/29/food_safety_georgia_plant_knowingly_shippedJanuary 29, 2009Food Safety: Georgia Plant Knowingly Shipped Contaminated Peanuts; Study Links Corn Syrup to Toxic Mercury We look at two stories on food safety. The FDA has issued one of the largest food recalls in history after eight people died of salmonella poisoning. A Georgia peanut plant knowingly shipped products contaminated with salmonella on a dozen occasions over the past two years. And a pair of new studies has revealed traces of toxic mercury can be found in many popular food items containing high-fructose corn syrup. The sweetener has become a widely used substitute for sugar in processed foods, including many items marketed toward children.Federal officials have revealed that a Georgia peanut plant knowingly shipped products contaminated with salmonella on a dozen occasions over the past two years. On Wednesday the FDA expanded its recall of peanut butter products in what has become one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history. The FDA is now asking retailers, manufacturers and consumers to throw out every item containing peanut products manufactured at the Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia.Salmonella poisoning has already killed at least eight people and sickened more than 500 people, half of them children. More than 400 consumer products containing peanut butter have been pulled from the shelves include Clif bars, ShopRite peanut butter crackers, Famous Amos cookies and King Nut peanut butter.Peanut Corporation of America sells peanut products to institutions like schools and nursing homes and to other companies, including Kellogg’s, which turns the butter or paste into other products. The peanut scare raises new questions about the FDA’s regulatory practices. The Washington Post reports that prior to the salmonella outbreak, the FDA hadn’t inspected the Georgia plant since 2001. In 2006 the agency contracted inspections to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, but last year state officials failed to check for salmonella.Meanwhile another story involving food safety has just come to light. A pair of new studies has revealed traces of toxic mercury can be found in many popular food items containing high fructose corn syrup. The sweetener has become a widely used substitute for sugar in processed foods, including many items marketed toward children.Items found to contain mercury include Hershey’s Chocolate syrup, Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly, Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup, Coca-Cola Classic, Quaker Oatmeal To Go and Nutri-Grain strawberry cereal bars. Mercury is considered toxic in all forms and is particularly dangerous for children.We are joined now by two guests. Patty Lovera joins us in Washington. She is the assistant director of Food & Water Watch. She has been closely monitoring the peanut butter recall. Dr. David Wallinga is with us in Minneapolis. He is the director of food and health at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Dr. Wallinga is co-author of the new studies on mercury levels in products with high fructose corn syrup.Patty Lovera, Assistant Director of Food & Water Watch.Dr. David Wallinga, Director of food and health at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Dr. Wallinga is co-author of the new studies on mercury levels in products with high-fructose corn syrup. =====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.