We all know and love peanut butter as a tasty lunchbox favorite and may have even heard rumors of manufacturing diamonds from it under immense pressure. Apparently, however, poorly processed peanut butter can also play home to virulent, often deadly strains of salmonella.

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention confirmed Thursday a possible link between Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter and salmonella cases in 37 states.

ConAgra Foods Inc., Peter Pans parent company, recalled jars of its peanut butter products processed at its Sylvester, GA plant, the suspected contamination site.

We thought last years bagged spinach E. Coli infestation might send a message to the food industry, quite literally, to clean up its act.

Unfortunately, even very recent history likes to repeat itself.

The food processing industry needs to get its act together.

A University of Georgia journal paper published in 2000 cites post-process contamination as the major cause of peanut butter salmonella incidents.

As easy as it is to identify bacteria in the 21st century, its unacceptable for the industry to cause widespread infections. Its only reason for not doing so proactively is the marginally greater profit earned by not spending money on lab tests.

The jokes on you, food-processing industry.

Many consumers are still ambivalent about buying bagged spinach, which has a tainted reputation after last years outbreak.

Similarly, soccer moms will think twice for months before expertly spreading peanut butter on slices of toast.
It pays to think ahead.



hello there & you too