[IMG]http://simplefeed.consumerreports.org/rsrc/i/1/_/new_york_times_private_auditor_failed_to_detect__9 87982603/4.gif?f=3dcb3160-01dc-11dc-32a2-0019bbc55f7f&s=AewyNia7NTvDvhaDemju5DEsbnVsbCwwLDA *[/IMG] New York Times: Private auditor failed to detect contaminated peanut products
Our in-box continues to be flooded with notices from the Food and Drug Administration recalling more and more products made with peanuts implicated in what is now one of the largest food-borne illness outbreaks in recent memory. Peanuts processed in two plants operated by the Peanut Corporation of America have been used in a wide variety of commercially-made foods from cookies and crackers to dog treats and ice cream.
An investigation published in the New York Times today explains how so much tainted peanut butter got into so many products without being detected. "With government inspectors overwhelmed by the task of guarding the nation?s food supply, the job of monitoring food plants has in large part fallen to an army of private auditors," the Times reported. "And the problems go well beyond peanuts."
The newspaper goes on to report that the PCA's plant in Blakely, Georgia was inspected by a private auditor last spring. The investigator was an expert in fresh produce, not peanuts, he had less than a day to inspect the plant and the company knew in advance he was coming. The problems didn't stop there, according to the newspaper. The report was based in part on private and government documents obtained by the Times.
Today, the tally of illnesses being kept by the Centers for Disease Control stands at 677 in 45 states with the most recent reported illness beginning on February 8, 2009. There have been nine deaths associated with the outbreak. As we reported earlier, food safety experts fear the recalled goods may remain undetected in pantries for years because?unlike fresh meat and produce?many have a long shelf life. Because of that, consumers are urged to check the FDA's database often.

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