Salmonella in Peanut Butter Linked to Leak

Apr 06, 02:37 PM

Current Headlines: ConAgra Foods said a leaky roof or faulty sprinkler at a production plant is the likely cause of Salmonella in recalled Peter Pan Peanut Butter.

The Omaha company said it appears moisture inadvertently entered the production process at the Sylvester, Ga., plant and allowed the growth of low levels of dormant Salmonella bacteria in the environment. ConAgra said the Salmonella was likely present from raw peanuts or peanut dust.

There were two possible sources of water that would have been a catalyst for Salmonella growth, ConAgra spokeswoman Stephanie Childs told UPI. A leak in the roof and two occasions where our sprinkler system activated inside the plant.

The Georgia facility is expected to reopen in August after it addresses all possible causes of the Salmonella outbreak, the company said in a release.

We are truly sorry for any harm that our peanut butter products caused and intend to resolve claims related to peanut butter fairly and expeditiously,

Gary Rodkin, ConAgra Foods' chief executive officer, said in a release. We will make significant investment in and changes to the manufacturing environment to ensure this situation does not occur again.