Nut Co.: Kraft Found Salmonella In 2008

(CBS/AP)  A company at the heart of a nationwide pistachio recall said Friday Kraft Foods Inc. detected salmonella in its pistachios more than six months ago but didn't report it until last week.

Setton International Foods Inc. production manager Lee Cohen said Friday that pistachios from California sister company Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. tested positive for salmonella in a Kraft snack mix in September 2008.

Setton Pistachio recalled more than 2 million pounds of the nuts on Monday after a Kraft manufacturer found salmonella in another batch of its roasted pistachios on March 20.

Cohen says Kraft didn't tell Setton Pistachio of the September test until last week.

Food and Drug Administration food safety official Dr. David Acheson said Kraft may have destroyed or recalled the tainted trail mix.

Kraft did not immediately respond to repeated messages seeking comment.

Authorities looking into the recall say they're investigating Setton's sister company in New York, where officials last month found cockroaches and rodent droppings.

Last month, New York agricultural authorities found live and dead cockroaches and rodent droppings inside a Commack, N.Y., plant, which failed its state health inspection.

The nationwide recall has increased calls for more stringent food testing laws.

Federal health officials warned people this week to avoid eating all pistachios and products containing them while they determine which products may be tainted.

The investigation of contaminated pistachios contrasts sharply with that in the salmonella outbreak that began late last year involving peanuts, the subject of a criminal investigation and thousands of recalls.

So far, only two people have called in with salmonella symptoms, but CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said that number is bound to rise in coming days.

"There tends to be a delay with diagnosing and reporting of salmonella symptoms," she said. "But they're going to be watching it."

The problem was not traced to peanuts until hundreds of people around the country got sick. The company involved, Peanut Corp. of America, is under criminal investigation for allegedly shipping products it knew to be tainted. The company's owner has refused to answer questions from lawmakers, citing constitutional protections against self-incrimination.

Private industry reported the pistachio problem immediately, rather than waiting for public health officials to intervene. And as of Wednesday, authorities had not confirmed any illnesses.

"You can call it a fluke, you can call it good luck, or you can call it good judgment on the part of Kraft," said Dr. David Acheson, FDA's assistant commissioner for food safety. "They're not required to tell us. They did and we're moving on it."

Acheson said the FDA does not mandate testing so companies are free to decide whether to take that step before distributing food products to stores.

Officials with the Grocery Manufacturers Association, an industry group that represents major food manufacturers, say Kraft has one of the most aggressive food safety systems in the business.

But they say getting the government to require testing of all foods is not the answer, since different foods are at risk of becoming contaminated at very different steps in the manufacturing process.

"You don't want to do testing just for the sake of doing testing," said the association's chief science officer, Robert Brackett. "That tends to be this one-size-fits all situation where it may work really well for some products and not for others. What we really focus on is for companies to build the safety into their programs in the first place."

[jetjt1]

now maybe instead of going chapter11 they can get BILLIONS in BAILOUT MONEY

[rhs648]

Oh My.....Oh My.....the class attorneys are lining up now.....Kraft Foods might as well declare Chapter 11....no way they can defend knowing about the disease in 2008 but doing nothing about it until last week.

Anybody holding Kraft stock had best sell it immediately.
Posted by ramos1129

That is quite an accusation. How do you know what Kraft did or didn't do? What if Kraft destroyed the contaminated food withour distributing it. What if Kraft only found contamination in one or two instances but at no other time? The article clearly states that Kraft voluntarilly and quickly reported their knowledge of contamination to the government. Accusations like yours could cause thousands of employees to lose their jobs and pension plans to lose millions of dollars. Don't you think it prudent to be sure of your facts before contributing to such losses for other people?

[rhs648]

Read the article folks. The article quotes an association that says "Kraft has one of the most aggresive food safety systems in the business." Kraft reported the information to the government even though they are nor required to do so. Further, Kraft reported the problem to the government immediately and voluntarilly. Food contamination can happen at any time. Perhaps we should look at our own kitchens and the improper handling of food that takes place in our homes. What matters is what a company does when it discovers a problem.

[ramos1129]

Oh My.....Oh My.....the class attorneys are lining up now.....Kraft Foods might as well declare Chapter 11....no way they can defend knowing about the disease in 2008 but doing nothing about it until last week.

Anybody holding Kraft stock had best sell it immediately.

[Questionews]

Nut Co.: Kraft Found Salmonella In 2008


I say bust a Nut Co. again!

[jenkins501]

Does anyone really know what we are really eating. I think not. It makes me not want to trust any food manufactuer. It all seems to be about the $$$$$$.