More Trouble for Plainview Plant
By: Julie Musgrave
Updated: February 12, 2009
More trouble for the Plainview Peanut plant. After closing the plant due to salmonella, state officials are now ordering a total recall of every product that came out of the plant. This recall comes after the Texas Department of State Health discovered some disturbing findings at the plant, including dead rodents, rodent droppings, and bird feathers in an area above production. Now health services has put a complete stop on every product from the plant that started it all in Georgia -- all the way to the South Plains.
Shelly Nutt, Texas Peanut Producers Board: "As much as I've been talking about this issue, I keep saying 'this is a Blakely, Georgia problem.' Well, it's not anymore. It's our problem, too."
The plant located just 30 miles north is now impacting the nation as recent findings continue to fuel what some are calling the largest food product recall in history.
Nutt: "Our image is tarnished. The peanut industry as a whole, the whole industry is suffering from this one company's negligence. What they produced in Plainview is used as an ingredient."
An ingredient that surprisingly ends up in a lot of common products. And on Thursday -- State Health Services investigators ordered a mandatory recall of every product ever shipped from the Plainview plant. Along with the rodent and bird findings, it was also discovered that the air filtration system wasn't circulating properly, infesting the crawl space of production areas. All of this is having a huge negative impact on our local farmers.
"When we started in 2009, there were very few contracts being issued because we had a big crop in 2008. So we weren't seeing a whole lot of contracts in 2009 anyway. We're seeing none now. Farmers here in Texas, the way they're going to feel it, is that public perception is bad, consumer confidence is not good in the peanut industry and peanut products, people are going to buy less peanut butter, less peanut candy, less peanut everything."
Nutt says fortunately, it's likely products coming from Plainview haven't reached you, the consumer just yet.
"They went to the manufacturers, but they haven't been processed yet."
Now -- just a reminder -- most products you'll see in the stores are okay and safe to eat. That includes peanut butter. But, if you're unsure, Nutt says you can call any 800 number on packaging and ask if there's any recall for that product just to make sure.


