FBI to Assist FDA in Ongoing Investigation of the Peanut Corporation of America‏

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announces the FBI’s assistance to the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA/OCI), in the ongoing investigation of the Peanut Corporation of America.

The FBI was asked to assist FDA/OCI in this matter, due to its ability to bring to bear a considerable amount of investigative resources. Although the FBI is fully involved in this investigation, FDA/OCI remains the lead federal investigative agency. As such, the FBI will defer to FDA/OCI for all public commentary regarding the details of this ongoing investigation.

For the time being, the FBI will make no further public comment on this matter.

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Peanut Corporation of America Provides Additional Information about Expanded Nationwide Recall of Peanut Products

In connection with the January 28, 2009 expanded recall announcement issued by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), the company wishes to highlight important information regarding several of its products.

On January 28, 2009, PCA announced it was voluntarily recalling all peanuts and peanut products processed in its Blakely, Georgia facility since January 1, 2007 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurisms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

PCA has not manufactured any products in cans and jars since 2007. However, because the January 28th recall notice indicated that PCA does not sell products directly to consumers in stores, and because the expanded recall includes PCA products made since the beginning of 2007, the potential for confusion may exist. Therefore, the company is highlighting information about those former retail offerings to assist consumers who may have purchased those products and who may still have them in their possession. These products were part of the January 28th recall, but here, they are individually listed. Consumers should be aware that the list below includes only PCA's own brands that were sold to consumers at retail. The list does not include brands made by PCA for other firms. FDA continues to update its website to alert the public about any new recalls.

PCA sold its Casey’s, Parnell’s Pride, Reggie, and Robinson Crusoe labels to 99 Cent Stuff, 99 Cents Only Stores, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree Stores. Below is a list of items and UPC codes that were shipped to these discount retail chain stores and other customers that are affected by this recall:

UPC	Pack Size	Description Affected:
49169 52575	6/3.75 lb cans	Casey's Dry Roasted Peanuts
49169 52530	6/3.75 lb cans	Casey's Honey Roasted Peanuts
49169 60010	12/16 oz jars	Parnell's Pride Dry Roasted Salted Peanuts
49169 60030	12/16 oz jars	Parnell's Pride Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts
49169 44112	12/12 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Honey Roasted Peanuts
49169 44112	24/12 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Honey Roasted Peanuts
49169 52560	6/3.75 lb cans	Parnell's Pride Mixed Nuts with Peanuts
49169 70009	24/9 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Oil Roasted Unsalted Peanuts
49169 52319	12/12 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Party Peanuts
49169 52319	24/12 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Party Peanuts
49169 52336	24/9 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Party Peanuts
49169 52540	6/3.75 lb cans	Parnell's Pride Party Peanuts
49169 70005	24/9 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Roasted Salted Redskin Peanuts
49169 52325	24/12 oz cans	Parnell's Pride Unsalted Peanuts
39277 75414	24/9 oz cans	Reggie’s Ballpark Style Peanuts Original Salted
49169 52362	24/9 oz cans	Robinson Crusoe Salted Home-Style Virginia Peanuts

PCA has not received any complaints or reports of illness from any of the items highlighted in this update.

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Recall Adds to Peanut Stockpile

In connection with a salmonella investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers against eating processed foods made with peanut butter. The country already had a large surplus of peanuts. With any decline in consumption now, that stockpile will grow, says a University of Georgia peanut expert.

“It’s never a good time to have anything like this, especially when there is consumer concern for health. But it comes at a particularly bad time considering the rather large surplus of peanuts last season’s bumper crop produced,” said Nathan Smith, an economist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

U.S. peanut farmers produced 2.58 million tons of peanuts in 2008, a record crop, Smith said. This helped create what is now growing to be an 800,000-ton surplus. Because of the way the crop is bought and sold before becoming food, the industry likes to keep 300,000 tons to 400,000 tons in the pipeline as a buffer against a major crop loss.

In recent years, peanut consumption has increased annually. In fact, consumption was on track to be 6 percent more than in 2007, or around 2.24 million tons. Average annual peanut consumption in the U.S. is 6.5 pounds per person.

Before the FDA warning, the peanut industry was adjusting to the surplus. Because of it, farmers are expected to plant fewer peanuts this year and produce less than the U.S. consumes in a year, eating into that surplus, Smith said. That would be in a typical year, one without a decline in consumer consumption.

“It’s too early to tell how the FDA warning will impact consumption this year,” Smith said. “We were probably on our way to correcting the supply and demand gap we have with this year’s crop, but now it may take another year to do that.”

The peanut stockpile has already affected farmers’ prices.

Last year at this time, farmers could contract peanuts for $500 a ton, some as high as $600 a ton. There are no contracts being offered right now for the ’09 crop. A farmer that sees a contract above $400 per ton this year should think hard about taking it, Smith said. Prices may not get much higher for a while.

As part of the warning, the FDA now lists more than 125 products containing peanut paste, which has been linked to a Peanut Corp. of America plant in south Georgia.

Consumers can find a list of the suspect products at the FDA’s Web site www.fda.gov. Jarred peanut butter is considered safe and not part of the safety alert.

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Investigation into Salmonella Contamination Continues; GDA Makes Sure Recalled Products are Removed from Sale

“We are continuing to work with our state and federal counterparts to determine the cause of the contamination of peanut butter from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) processing facility in Blakely,” said Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has run 173 individual tests on peanut butter from the plant and ingredients sent to the plant as well as peanut butter and peanut products from other sources. “These tests have been negative for Salmonella with the exception of the sample we announced last week and for one more sample collected from the plant for which we are awaiting results,” said Commissioner Irvin.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture is conducting a recall verification to make sure that all recalled products are removed from store shelves and food warehouses. “We have been informing grocery stores, convenience stores, food warehouses and food processors of all the products that have been recalled and our inspectors are checking to make sure all the recalled products have been removed from sale and from food distribution channels,” said Commissioner Irvin.

Visit the Food and Drug Administration web site: http://www.fda.gov/oc/firmrecalls for more information on the recall and a complete list of the recalled products.

“Jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores are not implicated in this recall. The recalled peanut butter and peanut paste were sent to food processors and institutions,” said Irvin.

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Peanut Corporation of America Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter

Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), a peanut processing company and maker of peanut butter for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies, today announced a voluntary recall of peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Georgia processing facility because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

All product affected was produced on or after July 1, 2008, specific to the lot numbers and descriptions listed below.

The peanut butter being recalled is sold by PCA in bulk packaging to distributors for institutional and food service industry use. It is also sold under the brand name Parnell’s Pride to those same industries. Additionally, it is sold by the King Nut Company under the label King Nut. PCA customers who received the recalled product are being notified by telephone and in writing.

None of the peanut butter being recalled is sold directly to consumers through retail stores.

“We deeply regret that this has happened,” said Stewart Parnell, owner and president of PCA. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily withdrawing this product and contacting our customers. We are taking these actions with the safety of our consumers as our first priority.”

PCA initiated this recall after an open container of King Nut brand peanut butter in a long-term care facility in Minnesota was found to contain a strain of salmonella. King Nut brand peanut butter is produced by PCA.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota laboratory analyses on the contamination in the already-opened container of peanut butter have the same genetic fingerprint as the cases in the national outbreak that has sickened almost 400 people in 42 states.

The voluntary recall of 21 lots of its peanut butter, in containers ranging from five to 50 pounds, is being taken immediately. PCA is notifying its institutional customers and has set up a toll-free hotline number 1-877-564-7080 to answer questions.

PCA is continuing to work closely and cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as state officials as part of this ongoing investigation.

According to a CDC update issued on their website today (January 13, 2009), preliminary analysis of an epidemiologic study conducted by CDC and public health officials has suggested peanut butter as a likely source. The CDC and other public health officials are continuing to conduct surveillance for cases of infection with the outbreak strains, and to gather and analyze data or exposures that may be associated with illness. To date, no association has been found with common brand names of peanut butter sold in grocery stores.

Customers are asked to take all peanut butter manufactured with the lot numbers listed below out of distribution immediately. Customers can call the following toll-free 24-hour number 1-877-564-7080 for further instructions on what to do with the product or visit the company website at www.peanutcorp.com for additional information.

Eating food contaminated with Salmonella can result in abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and fever. Most people infected with Salmonella develop the symptoms 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses. For more information on the salmonella bacteria, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

Lot Numbers Affected:

8193, 8194, 8197, 8233, 8234, 8235, 8241, 8255, 8256, 8275, 8276, 8282, 8283, 8284, 8296, 8316, 8330, 8331, 8336, 8345, 8354

Stock Numbers Descriptions Pack Size Affected

551000 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 6 ct / 5 lb

551006 Crunchy Stabilized Peanut Butter 6 ct / 5 lb

551020 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 35 lb

551022 Natural Course Peanut Paste 35 lb

551025 Old Fashioned Creamy Peanut Butter with 1% Salt 35 lb

551035 Crunchy Natural Peanut Butter 35 lb

551040 Creamy Natural Peanut Butter 35 lb

551050 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 50 lb

551050-D Dark Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 50 lb

551051 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter with Monodiglyceride 50 lb

551053 Crunchy Stabilized Peanut Butter 50 lb

551072 Peanut Butter Variegate 45 lb

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