Dead rodents, excrement in peanut processor lead to recall

[Prrkitty]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/12/pea...all/index.html

Quote: The Texas Department of State Health Services on Thursday ordered the recall of all products ever shipped from the Peanut Corporation of America's plant in Plainview, Texas, after discovering dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in the plant.

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At this point, I'd say it's time to stop eating ANY peanut products. It's TOTALLY appalling to read of such findings in a company that supplies our food products.

Honestly... how can those managers and those "in the know" do what they did... knowing they put peoples' health at risk?

[Beldaran]

It's TOTALLY appalling to read of such findings in a company that supplies our food products.

Anyone who has done any research (I have done some but not lots) into where our food comes from in America will start to obsessive compulsively buy only fresh fruit, vegetables, and lean meats raised on organic farms. The things you will learn as you plumb the depths of our nation's food industry will cause your soul to shrivel.

Anyhow, I'm glad I never eat peanut butter.

[Prrkitty]

It's not just peanut butter... and the peanut paste produced at these companies. It's even the whole peanuts shipped from them also. I believe it's ANY products shipped from these companies.

Paul and I have started eating organic meat, milk, veggies and such... in hopes of eating "better for us" products.

[rock_nog]

Wow - I've been following this story for a while, and I've gotta say, it's un-freaking-believable that they would knowingly sell tainted food.

Anyway, I must say I feel this has really been unfair for other peanut companies. Apparently the whole industry is being hit pretty hard by this, because people are simply avoiding peanut products altogether. I mean, that's really gotta suck for the companies that aren't directly affected by the contamination.

[Shazza Dani]

I buy Smart Balance all-natural peanut butter. I don't believe that is one of the companies affected, but it doesn't matter to me because I haven't bought peanut butter in a few months.

[Zaphod Q. IX]

It's just extra protein. I don't know what you people are freaking out about.

Do you think the "organic" factory where your peanut butter is made is completely free of rodents or insects? Perhaps the "organic" fields where the peanuts are grown are free of rodents and insects as well...

I think not.

I've seen lots of bugs in corn fields...and I used to pick corn when I was 11 and 12...if you think that none of those bugs ever end up in your stomach then you are an idiot.

Now, I do feel that limits are a good thing...and if the inspector sees gross violations it should indeed end in closure of the facility in question, just like it did in the recent media-circus case...

Some people, however, are acting like it's the end of the world for a human to eat a mouse turd. Get over it...you've eaten them. So have I...

There are more important things to be upset about.

[Shazza Dani]

Natural peanut butter tastes bettah~ I didn't say I think they come from cleaner factories or anything like that, I only said I don't think that it was involved in this recall.

Of course, I didn't read the article before I made my post. I thought rats were taking shits in the peanut butter jars or summat. So dead rodents and excrement were "found in the plant"—what does that mean? They were just laying around? I'm sure they were. It's a factory, rats come with the environment. They poop. They die. =\ So I agree with you, Zaph. It doesn't sound like this crazy huge deal people are making it out to be.

[rock_nog]

Um... But this is the same company responsible for the salmonella outbreak, and rodents are a source of salmonella. It's a different plant, but come on - there is genuine reason for concern here.

[Nicholas Steel]

It's just extra protein. I don't know what you people are freaking out about.

Do you think the "organic" factory where your peanut butter is made is completely free of rodents or insects? Perhaps the "organic" fields where the peanuts are grown are free of rodents and insects as well...

I think not.

I've seen lots of bugs in corn fields...and I used to pick corn when I was 11 and 12...if you think that none of those bugs ever end up in your stomach then you are an idiot.

Now, I do feel that limits are a good thing...and if the inspector sees gross violations it should indeed end in closure of the facility in question, just like it did in the recent media-circus case...

Some people, however, are acting like it's the end of the world for a human to eat a mouse turd. Get over it...you've eaten them. So have I...

There are more important things to be upset about.

but there is wind and rain to wash all the crap away right? there's only wind in the factories crawl space and it blows concentrated amounts of the crap into a room (IE: a place that has walls on all sides, a roof and a floor so the stuff doesn't dissipate.) where all the food is.

[Beldaran]

It's just extra protein. I don't know what you people are freaking out about.

Guess what? Infectious bacteria is not a good source of protein.