Gravani

When the media needed background on the national salmonella outbreak that has been traced to a Blakely, Ga., peanut-processing plant, they turned to Cornell Food Science professor Robert Gravani. He is an expert on food-borne illnesses and has been involved in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) briefings on the outbreak investigation. He is no stranger to dealing with regulatory agencies, as he has been training New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets food safety inspectors since the late 1970s.

Gravani has been following the case closely since the source of the outbreak was identified as bulk peanut butter produced by the Georgia plant. To date more than 550 people have fallen ill, with half of them being children, and eight deaths of older consumers have been reported.

If allegations prove true that officials at a Peanut Corp. of America plant in Georgia knowingly sold peanut butter contaminated with salmonella, the FDA will likely seek prosecution of those responsible, says Gravani. While "the company itself is responsible for using [FDA] Good Manufacturing Practices and protecting food from contamination," regulatory agencies also have a responsibility to oversee the industry and enforce food laws and regulations, says Gravani. Over the last few years, FDA funding, including money for field staff and inspections of food manufacturing facilities, has steadily declined, he says. As a result, the FDA contracted inspections of the Blakely plant with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

"The company passed their inspections in 2008," says Gravani, noting, however, that these inspections are a snapshot of that particular point in time. The FDA entered the manufacturing plant on Jan. 9 and completed its thorough investigation of the facility on Jan. 27. "Their report is quite detailed, and it ... found a number of areas that didn't measure up," he says.

For example, the report cites 10 sanitation problems at the plant, including evidence of harmful microorganisms and contamination on equipment and surfaces. Also at issue are Peanut Corp. of America reports that the firm's own testing found some salmonella in finished products. The products were retested, and when the results came back negative, the products were then shipped to customers.

Indeed, Gravani notes, "Some people are asking, 'why weren't these observations and irregularities noted in earlier investigations?'"

At the same time, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Feb. 3 that another peanut processing plant in Texas, also run by the Peanut Corp. of America, operated without inspections or a license for nearly four years until the company fell under investigation by the FDA. The FDA also relies on state food safety inspectors in Texas. Apparently, such lack of oversight is "not a completely uncommon occurrence," Cornell food science professor Joseph Hotchkiss said in the AP story.

Peanut butter in jars sold on supermarket shelves is not at issue because the Georgia company sold bulk peanut butter as well as peanut butter paste and meal for use as an ingredient in other commercial products.

The FDA recommends that consumers take the following steps to protect themselves and their families, says Gravani. They should first check their cupboards and pantries for any foods containing peanuts, including cookies, crackers, candy, cereals, nutrition and sports bars, and ice cream. If any are found, they should check the FDA Web site http://www.fda.gov to see if the products have been recalled. If people don't have access to a computer, they can call the the FDA's information line at 1-888-SAFEFOOD or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consumer hotline at 1-800-CDC-INFO. The CDC hotline is staffed 24/7, and personnel will check the products on the recall list for them. It is important that recalled products be disposed of in a safe manner and people wash their hands after handling these packages. People who think they have become ill from eating peanut products should consult a health care provider.

"The company has recalled products back to Jan. 1, 2007, which is absolutely astounding," says Gravani.