Health

Dead rodents, excrement in peanut butter plant lead to recall

by Amy Judd | February 12, 2009 at 05:13 pm

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The Texas Department of State Health Services today ordered the recall of all peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America's plant in Plainview, Texas, when it was discovered that dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers were found in the plant.

This is the day after the discovery of mess and filth in a crawl space above a production area in the same plant.

It was found that the ventilation system was also not working correctly, as it was pulling infested matter into the production area of the plant.

Officials at the plant, which opened in March 2005, voluntarily stopped operations Monday night.

Under the order, they are not allowed to resume operations without health services approval.

The company's peanut butter and peanut paste products produced at its plant in Blakely, Georgia, have been linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella poisoning that has affected 600 people, killing nine.