Consumer Law

Then We Add Dead Rat to the Peanut Butter, and Let It Bake Right In?

By Andy Hoffman

The argument that companies regulated by the FDA should be completely immune from lawsuits brought by sick and injured customers just gets weaker and weaker as more information becomes available about the salmonella-tainted peanut butter scandal.

First, it turns out that the FDA hadn?t inspected the Blakely, GA plant where the toxic nut butter was manufactured since 2001?and it only uncovered the problems by obtaining inspection reports done by the state.

Then we find out that the president of Peanut Corp. of America, the company at the center of salmonella outbreak (and now under criminal investigation), is actually on a board that advises the U.S. Department of Agriculture on peanut ?quality and handling standards.?

And finally, in this exclusive CBS report, a former a former plant employee says that roaches were a constant problem, there were rat droppings on the floor, huge holes in the roof, and worst of all?he saw a dead rat dry-roasting in a peanut area.  Bon appetite!

Full post as published by ThePopTort on February 03, 2009 (boomark / email).