Peanut Product Recall Took Company Approval - From the NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/): WASHINGTON — Even though federal health officials have begun a criminal investigation into whether the Peanut Corporation of America deliberately sold contaminated products, the government still needed the company’s permission last week before announcing a huge recall of its products. The wording of the recall statement had to be approved by the company before the Food and Drug Administration could publish it under current rules. The agency relies on cooperation from food makers to ensure the safety of the food supply even when those makers are suspected of crimes.

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“They can’t even get a press release out on this stuff without industry approval. It’s just unbelievable,” said Ms. DeLauro, who promised to offer legislation on Wednesday that would split the agency’s food oversight into a separate entity with mandatory recall authority and other powers.

Read more... (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/policy/03peanut.html)

Also see: How many more recalls of a food product (peanut butter this time) (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=31937)

It's getting more interesting....

Rat dry-roasting in a peanut area (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/03/earlyshow/health/main4771754.shtml)

Reading the description of the building is... Well, it's amazing so many BIG companies bought from this place. So it goes for supplier audits...

I bet it did not take much to get them to approve it....I doubt if they were in a position to tell the FDA to pound salt knowing they had criminal charges looming...:(

The company should not be in the position of being able to tell the FDA to pound salt even if they didn't have criminal charges looming.

When I see stuff like this I think of Allan Greenspan's testimony before congress. Essentially he said he neglected to factor in the greed factor. In short, it is proven again and again, without regulation companies will do what ever the fellas upstairs want whether it is good for the company and the shareholders or not. It's personal greed. What kind of people in upper management, in a company here in the US, would one think would even be capable of such carelessness in running a production facility in that shape?

At times like this I can only ask why the FDA even exists.

The company should not be in the position of being able to tell the FDA to pound salt even if they didn't have criminal charges looming.


Well, yeah...but it does provide additional motivation. :whip:

Somehow that's not very reassuring to me... As 'Little Madoffs' are showing up in the financial world (also relatively unregulated), how many other food processing plants like this one are out there?

It's getting more interesting....

Rat dry-roasting in a peanut area (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/03/earlyshow/health/main4771754.shtml)

Reading the description of the building is... Well, it's amazing so many BIG companies bought from this place. So it goes for supplier audits...

Roasted rat goes good with Kikoman and Ramen:notme:

On the serious side.....hopefully this is being handled as a criminal investigation. Years ago we (my former agency) would have initiated a homicide or at least a battery investigation should something have happened in our jurisdiction

Friends,

The FDA needs teeth!

Reading the FDA related posts here at The Cove Forums, you would think that they are absolutely on top of everything....

Tons and tons of regulations, and no enforcement?

Stijloor.

From time to time they mention they could use a little more funding to add a few more inspectors. Any idea how much more spending might be enough to resolve this problem? :notme: