Peanut products from Georgia plant recalled back to 2007

The Food and Drug Administration today expanded the recall of peanut products produced by the Georgia plant associated with the ongoing salmonella outbreak to include all products produced over the past two years. The vastly expanded recall comes after reports that evidence of salmonella was found at the plant yet peanut products were shipped anyway, according to news reports. The plant in Blakely, Georgia operated by the Peanut Corporation of America has been shuttered.

"It's among the largest recalls that we've had," said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety, during a press conference. "We don't have a good idea how much of that product is still out there."

The agency released its inspection reports of the plant in which inspectors concluded that PCA "failed to manufacture foods under conditions and controls necessary to minimize the potential for growth of microorganisms and contamination."

The company was also cited for "failure to maintain equipment, containers and utensils used to convey, hold, and store food in a manner that protects against contamination." FDA inspectors found that the manufacturer did not clean a peanut paste line contaminated with salmonella for more than three months after it first became aware of the contamination, the report said.

Numerous products that use peanut butter or peanut paste from PCA have already been recalled and that number is expected to grow given the expanded time frame of the recall. As they are recalled, the products are being added to the FDA's searchable database.

Today's expanded recall follows reports by federal inspectors that salmonella had been found previously at least 12 times in products made at the plant. Inspectors discovered that the tainted peanut products were retested, then shipped to customers, according to MSNBC.com. Tainted products were shipped as recently as September. A month later, reports of people being sickened signaled the start of the outbreak. More than 500 people have become ill and at least eight deaths have been associated with the outbreak.

We will continue to follow this story as it unfolds and reiterate our call for better oversight of the food distribution system.