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Salmonella Peanut Plant Fined $14.6 million

By PritzkerLaw

The State of Texas has leveled a $14.6 million fine against the peanut processing plant in Plainview owned by Peanut Corp. of America -- the company blamed for a national Salmonella outbreak associated with nine deaths and 700 illnesses.

Virginia-based Peanut Corp. is in bankruptcy and is facing a Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit filed by PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a national food safety law firm that represents the families of three women who died in the outbreak.

The Peanut Corp. processing plant most closely associated with the outbreak is located in Georgia, but Texas officials investigated the plant in Plainview before it closed Feb. 9. They found unsanitary conditions, product contamination, illnesses linked to the plant's peanuts and operating without a food manufacturer's license.

The notice of violation and fine was sent by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on April 10, 2009 (boomark / email).