AP Exclusive: Bad peanuts found before outbreak

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – Weeks before the earliest signs of a national salmonella outbreak that now has been traced to peanuts from a Georgia processing plant, peanuts exported by the same company were found to be contaminated and were returned to the United States...The rejected shipment — coming over the U.S. border across a bridge between New York and Canada — was logged by the Food and Drug Administration but never was tested by federal inspectors, according to the government's own records.

The chopped peanuts from Peanut Corp. of America in Blakely, Ga., were prevented by the FDA from being allowed back into the United States in mid-September because the peanuts contained an unspecified "filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, or is otherwise unfit for food," according to an FDA report of the incident... It also was not known whether the peanut shipment ultimately was destroyed or sent somewhere else... Federal inspectors previously reported they found roaches, mold, a leaking roof and other sanitation issues at the company's processing plant in Blakely believed to be the source of the outbreak...

"The FDA failing to follow up after this incident, does that mean that products that are not good enough for a foreign country are still good enough for the USA?" asked Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. "That's a double standard that has deadly consequences for our citizens." Harkin plans hearings on the outbreak and has proposed an overhaul of the nation's food inspection network. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., announced oversight hearings in the House will begin Feb. 11.


The government recorded the peanuts' seizure in the FDA's Oasis system, designed to prevent shipments into the United States of unsafe foreign products. In this case, it caught peanuts coming back into the U.S. after they were rejected abroad...The incident was among nearly 1,400 around the country in September in which the FDA refused to allow shipments into or back into the United States, often because products are not approved for sale in the U.S. or were improperly labeled. In a few cases in September, the FDA actually detected salmonella on items coming into the U.S.


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Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_go_ot/med_salmonella_outbreak_41

...reminds of the old campfire song, 'Found a Peanut'

Too many variables on the lyrics, but they all end up with you dead or dreaming about being dead

Found a peanut, found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now,
Just now I found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now.

Cracked it open, cracked it open,
Cracked it open just now,
Just now I cracked it open,
Cracked it open just now.

It was rotten, it was rotten,
It was rotten just now,
Just now it was rotten,
It was rotten just now.

Ate it anyway, ate it anyway,
Ate it anyway just now,
Just now I ate it anyway,
Ate it anyway just now.

Got a stomach ache, got a stomach ache,
Got a stomach ache just now,
Just now I got a stomach ache,
Got a stomach ache just now.

Called the doctor, called the doctor,
Called the doctor just now,
Just now I called the doctor,
Called the doctor just now.

Penicillin, Penicillin,
Penicillin just now,
Just now I took Penicillin,
Penicillin just now.

Operation, operation,
Operation just now,
Just now an operation,
An operation just now.

Died anyway, died anyway,
Died anyway just now,
Just now I died anyway,
Died anyway just now.

Went to heaven, went to heaven,
Went to heaven just now,
Just now I went to heaven,
Went to heaven just now.

Wouldn't take me, wouldn't take me,
Wouldn't take me just now,
Just now Heaven wouldn't take me,
Wouldn't take me just now.

Went the other way, went the other way,
Went the other way just now,
Just now I went the other way,
Went the other way just now.

Didn't want me, didn't want me,
Didn't want me just now,
Just now they didn't want me,
Didn't want me just now.

Was a dream, was a dream,
Was a dream just now,
Just now it was a dream,
Was a dream, just now.

Then I woke up, then I woke up,
Then I woke up just now,
Just now I woke up,
I woke up just now.

Found a peanut, found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now,
Just now I found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now.

He's the big supporter of agri-business in Georgia -- put HIM on national TV and start asking the tough questions.

Why aren't contaminated food shipments seized and destroyed as soon as they are found?

or if they do, they aren't telling.

We mustn't waste all that money on proper inspection of our food supply!

That money is far better spent on war contractors, backroom deals and corporate giveaways!!!!

Say NO to big government!

:sarcasm:

:puke:
:puke:
:puke: >>> Eat up! It's good for you!


:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: