Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Don't worry so much - We are TOTALLY on Top of This Situation!

I just want to reassure you that based on the below recall, we have decided out of an abundance of caution to test all of our products for the presence of peanuts.

Rick


Virginia Company Recalls Peanut Butter Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

By JANE ZHANG

A Virginia company that makes peanut butter for institutional use is recalling peanut butter made at a Georgia plant after health officials linked it to a salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 425 people in 43 states and may have caused three deaths.

Peanut Corp. of America, Lynchburg, Va., said it is recalling products made after June 30 at its Blakely, Ga., processing plant. The company sells bulk peanut butter under the King Nut and Parnell's Pride labels. The products are not sold at retail stores, but at food services and institutions such as schools, hospitals and nursing homes.

"We deeply regret that this has happened," Stewart Parnell, owner and president of Peanut Corp., said in a news release. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily withdrawing this product and contacting our customers. We are taking these actions with the safety of our consumers as our first priority."

The company recalled the peanut butter Tuesday after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified it as a likely source of the outbreak. On Monday, Minnesota health officials confirmed that salmonella found in a five-pound container of peanut butter genetically matched the bacteria involved in the nationwide outbreak. The peanut butter was made by Peanut Corp. for King Nut Cos., Solon, Ohio, which voluntary recalled its products Saturday.
The CDC said people in several states became sick after eating at institutions such as schools, hospitals and nursing homes hospitals, which only used King Nut brand peanut butter. The CDC and states continue to investigate the cause of the outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration said Monday night it was inspecting facilities at King Nut and Peanut Corp. to gather samples and collect records.

6 comments:

Nom de Blog said...

Don't joke about it-- the peanut nazis are out in force. They're starting to actually ban PBJ's at schools, even if nobody there actually has a peanut allergy. And I say this as the parent of a child who's allergic to peanuts. Really, I don't want the world to stop because my kid's allergic to peanuts. But some people do, and it's scary.

Nom de Blog said...

Plus you're giving the CPSC ideas. Don't you know ideas are dangerous?? That's why they're going to have to keep kids away from books.

Rick Woldenberg, Chairman - Learning Resources Inc. said...

Wacky, you make a very good point. I will try to stop having ideas. I must have eaten too many books as a child.

The Happy Tomato said...

Phew!
Yes, WHY Twiddle Dee Dum down your business decisions with questions like testing for lead in things like actual FOOD, which people have a 100% chance of putting in their mouths--no matter their age? We all know it's the math manipulatives we really have to worry about--base ten cubes and attribute blocks are particularly tasty with crow, and of course, there's the ubiquitous pocket chart, which conveniently doubles as a pita (the lead makes them so light and airy).
Our children's safety cannot be compromised--a statement as passionate and cryptic as "You can never put too much water in a nuclear reactor!"--shoot, does that mean we should never put too much water in there...or that it's impossible to put too much?
I say this as a mother, an educator and a terror-stricken small business owner and artisan.
Thank you for making this rude journey smarter and funnier.

Anonymous said...

Rick have you heard about the BIG meeting tomorrow? Were you invited (since they cancelled on you last time)? They're blaming it on "misinformation" being spread around. Here's the press release:

January 13, 2009

Briefing for Congressional Staff on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

Dear Colleague:

Confusion has arisen recently regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Due to inaccurate reporting, some congressional offices have received phone calls from concerned constituents who believe they may be adversely impacted by the new law. For instance, some thrift store operators believe they may be forced to stop operating because of the new law. This belief, among others, does not reflect the actual requirements of the law.

In order to clear up confusion and allow you to share concerns raised by your constituents, we invite your staff to a briefing on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and its implementation.

At 2:00 p.m., on Friday, January 16, 2009, in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building, staff from the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce will discuss current issues in implementation of the law.

If you have any questions about this briefing, please contact Valerie Baron of the Subcommittee staff at 225-2927.

Sincerely,

Henry A. Waxman
Chairman
Committee on Energy and Commerce

Bobby L. Rush
Chairman
Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection

Rick Woldenberg, Chairman - Learning Resources Inc. said...

The meeting on Friday is an effort by the Rush Subcommittee to counteract this blog and others on the Web who have dared to disagree with the marketing of the CPSIA as a "safety" bill. They want people to believe everything's fine, just dandy, and that we should all be pleased with the way we are being regulated. Time will tell whether they will prevail in resetting expectations. You can influence the outcome by calling and emailing Congress daily.

Rick