FDA's Investigation

The Investigation: Initial Association with Peanut Butter

Many state health departments, including the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), conducted intensive investigations of patients infected with the outbreak strain. By December 28, MDH had learned from interviews of patients that some infected with the outbreak strain lived or ate meals in one of at least three institutions (two long-term care facilities and one elementary school). A review of menus and invoices by MDH and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) revealed that the institutions had a common food distributor in North Dakota, and the only food common to the three institutions was King Nut creamy peanut butter.

An open container of King Nut peanut butter was collected from one of the institutions, a long-term care facility, on January 5, for testing at MDA. By January 9, 2009, MDH had identified six additional cases in six other institutions; each of those institutions had received King Nut peanut butter. Also on January 9, the MDA laboratory reported isolation of Salmonella from the King Nut peanut butter sample. This was confirmed on January 12 as being the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium.

On January 16, the Connecticut Department of Public Health Laboratory isolated the outbreak strain from a previously unopened 5-pound container of King Nut creamy peanut butter. As of January 28, 16 clusters of cases, each with at least two patients infected with the outbreak strain, were reported in five states. All clusters were in institutional facilities. King Nut was the only brand of peanut butter used in the 16 facilities. King Nut peanut butter was distributed in bulk packaging to institutions, food service industries, and private-label food companies. King Nut peanut butter was not known to be sold directly to consumers or distributed for retail sale in grocery stores.
All of the King Nut peanut butter was produced by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at a single facility in Blakely, Georgia. An inspection at the PCA plant was initiated by FDA and the Georgia Department of Agriculture on January 9, and a CDC epidemiologist joined the investigation team on January 10.

Association with Products Containing Peanut Butter and Peanut Paste

Ongoing interviews of patients, by CDC, indicated that many of them did not eat peanut butter in institutions, but had eaten various other products that contained peanut butter or peanut paste. FDA’s investigation revealed that PCA had sold potentially contaminated peanut butter, peanut paste, peanut meal, granulated peanuts, and oil- and dry-roasted peanuts to hundreds of other firms, in bulk – some of them by the tanker-truck load.

Many of these other firms had then distributed these products to still other establishments, for use as peanut butter or as ingredients in hundreds of different products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy, and ice cream. The products PCA had sold to the firms were widely distributed in the United States and were distributed in at least 23 other countries and non-U.S. territories.

On January 18, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed that Austin brand Toasty peanut butter crackers that had been purchased in the United States by a consumer contained Salmonella. On January 26, Canada reported that the Salmonella was the type (the serotype) associated with the outbreak.

Control Measures and Recalls

On January 9, PCA voluntarily stopped production of peanut butter and peanut paste at the Blakely, Georgia, facility. On January 10, King Nut Company issued a voluntary recall of specific lots of peanut butter manufactured by PCA and distributed under King Nut and Parnell's Pride labels. On January 28, following three previous recalls (issued January 13, 16, and 18), PCA expanded its recall to include all peanuts and peanut products processed at the plant since January 1, 2007, based on additional findings about the company’s compliance with FDA requirements. In addition to peanut butter and peanut paste, the expanded recall includes dry- and oil-roasted peanuts, granulated peanuts, and peanut meal. On January 28, 2009, the facility reported that production of all peanut products had stopped.

On January 30, FDA confirmed that there was an ongoing criminal investigation of PCA.

As noted, PCA shipped recalled peanuts and peanut products to hundreds of establishments, including numerous distributors and manufacturers. FDA continues working to identify additional products that might be affected and to track the ingredient supply chain of those products, to facilitate their removal from the marketplace.

News Updates

Congressional Testimony

Feburary 11, 2009
Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Director, Center For Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Subject: Ongoing investigation of the foodborne illness outbreak associated with Salmonella Typhimurium
Before: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Committee on Energy and Commerce
House of Representatives

Feburary 5, 2009
Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Director, Center For Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Subject: Ongoing investigation of the foodborne illness outbreak associated with Salmonella Typhimurium
Before: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
United States Senate

FDA/CDC Joint Media Teleconferences