On April 5, 2007, ConAgra Foods Inc. announced that moisture in its Sylvester, GA food production plant was the source of Salmonella bacteria found in its recalled peanut butter products that were linked to foodborne illnesses in more than 400 people in 44 states.

The company’s two-month investigation followed the contamination of its Peter Pan and Great Value brands of peanut butter that sickened at least 425 people, according to federal health officials at the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ConAgra traced the Salmonella bacteria found in recalled peanut butter jars to three events at the Sylvester plant in which moisture mixed with dormant Salmonella bacteria in the plant.

The plant’s roof leaked during a rainstorm, and the sprinkler system was activated twice because of a fault in the system. The sprinkler system was repaired and the company said the plant was cleaned thoroughly after the three incidents, but the Salmonella, which probably came from raw peanuts and peanut dust, somehow remained inside the plant and came in contact with peanut butter before it was packaged.

The Sylvester plant is ConAgra’s only peanut butter production facility. ConAgra recalled all of the peanut butter made at the plant since October 2004. ConAgra is now facing numerous lawsuits from people sickened from its peanut butter products.

ConAgra intends to return recalled Peter Pan peanut butter and other brands of peanut butter to stores in mid-July 2007.

Source: “ConAgra says water was cause of Salmonella in peanut butter,” Associated Press, April 5, 2007.