US-GA-WALB News-Peter Pan plant doing well a year after salmonella scare shut it down

February 14, 2008

Sylvester- It was a year ago Thursday that ConAgra Foods realized Peter Pan Peanut Butter coming from their Sylvester plant was making people sick nationwide.

Salmonella bacteria sickened more than 600 people in 47 states. It’s been six months since production resumed. We sat down with the plant manager as ConAgra prepares to roll out the additional varieties of Peter Pan. ConAgra says business is better than it was before the salmonella outbreak.

Plant manager Earl Ehret remembers, it was exactly two o’clock a year ago that he had to shut down the lines in Sylvester.

“It was not a good feeling,” said Earl Ehret, ConAgra Sylvester Plant Manager.

Over the next six months, ConAgra would learn it was a roof leak that lead to the salmonella contamination. They replaced the roof, reworked the floor plan which included separating the raw products from the finished peanut butter, installed a new roaster, and more.

“We put a new air system in the plant. The plant’s now humidity and climate controlled, not only for the process but it’s a more controlled environment for the people who work in the plant,” said Ehret….more..

Australia-News.Au.com-Farm scrutinised after salmonella outbreaks

TASMANIAN egg supplier Pitt’s Poultry has come under scrutiny by the health department after being linked to a string of salmonella outbreaks around the state.

Pitt’s supplied the eggs that led to the recent outbreak at Venus cafe on Hobart’s Eastern Shore, which made 80 people ill – 47 of whom were confirmed as having salmonella.

But the company – which has battery-hen sheds at Oyster Cove and Snug and is a major supplier to the state’s cafes and restaurants – has also been linked to at least three other major salmonella outbreaks in the last few years.

Three outbreaks between 2005 and 2007 have all been connected with eggs supplied by Pitt’s, which is run by Nick Pitt, whose family has been in the poultry industry for more than 50 years.

After the 2007 outbreak, Pitt’s was made to significantly alter its operations regarding the production and handling of eggs and an intensive egg washing, crack-testing and sorting process was implemented…more..