Peanut Butter May Be Labeled High Risk

(CBS/AP)  In the wake of a deadly salmonella outbreak, the government may designate peanut butter as a high-risk food, according to a top health official.

Dr. Stephen Sundlof, the head of the FDA's food safety center, told lawmakers that peanut butter may be singled out for special attention as agency inspectors will start routinely collecting samples of peanut butter and other foods for bacterial testing whenever they go into a facility. Currently that's done only if officials suspect a problem.

Sundlof said the government is weighing whether to classify peanut butter as a high-risk food. That means producers would be required to follow written food safety plans to prevent contamination.

The current salmonella outbreak has sickened some 600 people and is being linked to nine deaths. More than 1,900 products have been recalled.

On Wednesday, the CEO of Georgia-based Peanut Corporation of America, which has been linked to the tainted peanuts at the heart of the outbreak, pleaded the fifth amendment when questioned by lawmakers.

Stewart Parnell sat stone faced, and took the Fifth in response to every angry question regarding the bacteria-tainted products he defiantly told employees to ship to some 50 manufacturers of cookies, crackers and ice cream.

"Turn them loose," Parnell had told his plant manager in an internal e-mail disclosed at the House hearing. The e-mail referred to products that once were deemed contaminated but were cleared in a second test last year.

Summoned by congressional subpoena, Parnell repeatedly invoked his right not to incriminate himself at the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing. Parnell sat stiffly, his hands folded in his lap at the witness table, as Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., held up a clear jar of his company's products wrapped in crime-scene tape and asked if he would eat them.

"Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer your questions based on the protections afforded me under the U.S. Constitution," Parnell responded.

After he repeated the statement several times, lawmakers dismissed him from the hearing. Parnell chose not to be in the hearing room when devastated families testified, CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports.

Shortly after Parnell's appearance, a lab tester told the panel that the company discovered salmonella at its Blakely, Ga., plant as far back as 2006. Food and Drug Administration officials told lawmakers more federal inspections could have helped prevent the outbreak.

"We appear to have a total systemic breakdown," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of the committee's investigations subcommittee.

[gabbysmomrs]

It would be interested to know how many peanut butter paste providers there are in the Country.

I believe if a plant is found to have salmonella it should be closed until it has been thoroughly cleaned and proves its product no longer carries the stuff.

[billpl-2009]

how many millions of tons of this stuff is made every year?!?

one bad batch and we HAVE to call it High-Risk?

doesn''t the FDA got BETTER things to do?

[yongamerica]

Peanut butter, the one food product always considered safe and reliable and good for every kid and adult now has a stigma of being diseased and possiblly deadly. Sort of like raw eggs and Salmonella. Kind of like pork and Salmonella. Even like pet turtles and Salmonella...

Now when I look at peanut butter on bread the first thought in my mind is blow fish sushi, will this bite kill me?

[sharednotion]

This is sad. I''m in my 50''s, and from the time I was a young child, I don''t recall that there has ever been an issue here in the United States regarding the safety of domestically-produced peanut butter. It''s always been a safe, tasty, and inexpensive source of healthy protein. Let''s get our act together! (Within recent years, there have been health scares regarding lettuce, tomatoes, and now peanut butter. One is tempted to think of junk foods like soda pop & potato chips as the safe alternative.)

[oleander8]

"The hazards of processed food must be realized by the "a sleep at the switch public". "[Posted by baileycc ]

Oh Bite-me - not everything can be blamed on the folks just working for a living and trying to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. At some point we have a right to expect more of the people we are paying to protect us.

[presjfk]

"We appear to have a total systemic breakdown," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.,

No S h i t

[baileyccc]

The hazards of processed food must be realized by the "a sleep at the switch public".

[wandac1960]

I think that there should be an onsite inspector in every food processing plant in the US, the salary should be paid for by both the Government and the company/plant. The inspector should be appointed by the government and stationed at every plant. That way the cost is shared, there are more on duty and our foodstuffs will be free from contaminates.

[kaelinda]

The REASON the FDA can''t properly police our foods is the fact that the CONGRESS keeps cutting their budget so that they can''t afford to hire more inspectors. There are hundreds of thousands of food manufacturers and producers in this country, in addition to all the food that''s imported from other countries. How can 2,000 inspectors - for the entire country - inspect every plant and every imported foodstuff as often as these things should be inspected? Don''t blame the FDA - blame Bush and his Republican congress, for spending money on a war when he could have been paying for safety in our food, water, and air.

[hdc77494]

One company out of all those involved in peanut food production gets really stupid and violates every food safety guideline there is, and all of a sudden the whole industry is under the microscope for years to come, and I''m sure at very high cost. And not a single additional life will be saved. This happened because of the criminal conduct of one company owner, not because the industry is unsafe. Govt hacks justifying a bigger budget...