(CNN) -- 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.
The order, which applies to products shipped since the plant opened nearly four years ago, came a day after the discovery of filth in a crawl space above a production area during a health services inspection, the department said in a news release.
Inspectors also reported that the plant's ventilation system was pulling debris "from the infested crawl space into production areas of the plant resulting in the adulteration of exposed food products," the release said.
Officials at the plant, which opened in March 2005, voluntarily stopped operations Monday night. Under the order, they are not allowed to resume operations without health services approval.
The company's peanut butter and peanut paste products produced at its plant in Blakely, Georgia, have been linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella poisoning that has affected 600 people, killing nine.
The order, which applies to products shipped since the plant opened nearly four years ago, came a day after the discovery of filth in a crawl space above a production area during a health services inspection, the department said in a news release.
Inspectors also reported that the plant's ventilation system was pulling debris "from the infested crawl space into production areas of the plant resulting in the adulteration of exposed food products," the release said.
Officials at the plant, which opened in March 2005, voluntarily stopped operations Monday night. Under the order, they are not allowed to resume operations without health services approval.
The company's peanut butter and peanut paste products produced at its plant in Blakely, Georgia, have been linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella poisoning that has affected 600 people, killing nine.
Earlier today, Peanut Corporation of America filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Friday in federal court in Lynchburg,Virginia. In its filing, the company said its assets were between $1 million and $10 million, and its liabilities were between $1 million and $10 million.
The salmonella outbreak so far has sickened more than 630 people and may have caused the deaths of nine people. It has led to one of the largest product recalls in the nation’s history, with more than 2,000 products recalled thus far, according to the FDA.
Under bankruptcy liquidation, creditors, including those who had filed damage claims against the company would not be paid in full for their damages. Instead they would be paid some fraction of their claims. Future lawsuits filed against the company could also be dealt with in the bankruptcy.
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plez sez: i wonder if this recall affects that Reese's Peanut Butter Cup i had earlier today?!?
lettuce. spinach. tomatoes. now peanuts... soon we won't be able to eat anything!
and now PCA is going to hide behind bankruptcy to get out of paying for the damages done by their tainted goobers. some have cited that in China the president of companies like this get the death penalty... that may the correct move, since this product is predominantly consumed by children.
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Read the P.I.S.S.D. blog entry about peanut butter recall ramifications.
Read the CNN.com article about possible salmonella contamination at Texas peanut processing plant.
Read the CNN.com article about the plant shut down in Texas.
Read the AJC.com article about the peanut processor filing for bankruptcy.
Read the CNN.com article about how the Peanut Corp. of America filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
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we should doo like the chinese when they have these out breaks - and place them on desth row
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