Reports cite violations at peanut plant

The South Georgia peanut butter plant linked to the national salmonella outbreak has a history of sanitation problems that include grease and dirt buildup, unmarked chemical containers and gaps in doors large enough for rodents, according to state inspection reports obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The inspection reports from the Georgia Agriculture Department, from 2006 to 2008, show repeated problems with cleanliness at the Blakely plant, which federal officials have targeted as the sole source of the national outbreak.

The state Agriculture Department inspected the plant on an average of two times a year, said agency assistant commissioner Oscar Garrison.

Garrison said most of the problems were relatively minor, but a food safety advocate said they raised major concerns.

Inspectors noted several instances in which the plant was not in compliance with regulations on the prevention of food contamination.

“The food-contact surfaces of the bulk oil roast transfer belt in the mezzanine room were not properly cleaned and sanitized,” said an inspection report from Aug. 23, 2007. “The food-contact surfaces of re-work kettle in the butter room department were not properly cleaned and sanitized,” the same report said.

Peanut Corp. of America, which owns the Blakely plant, said it complied with all suggestions made after inspections.

“When the observations were noted during inspections by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, corrective action was taken immediately where possible and subsequently when immediate action was not possible,” the company said in a prepared statement. “The most recent inspection observations by the state were relatively minor and for the most part corrected on site.”

The salmonella outbreak has sickened 501 people in 43 states, and may be linked to eight deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In metro Atlanta, a person in Gwinnett County and another in DeKalb were among those taken ill.

A spokesman for a food safety group said the problems at the plant showed that it could become a breeding ground for salmonella.

“It’s obvious there was a sanitation issue with the plant,” and there should have been tougher action from state if not federal health officials, said Tony Corbo, a legislative representative with Food & Water Watch, a Washington watchdog nonprofit group. “These violations were recurring.”

Garrison said the inspections found largely “housekeeping” issues and that the plant was generally clean and in compliance with regulations.

Most of the violations were fixed immediately or within 24 hours, he said.

He said the inspectors found no signs of salmonella or indications the plant was a breeding ground for food contamination.

“There are some concerns and some violations,” he said, “but no smoking gun.”

The plant has shut down and laid off most of its workers.

Corbo said he was particularly concerned about the effectiveness of state oversight because the Blakely plant is the second Georgia plant to be linked to a salmonella outbreak.

In 2007, a ConAgra peanut butter plant in Sylvester, near Albany, was identified as the source of a salmonella outbreak that sickened hundreds of people across the United States. Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter were recalled.

RECALLS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created a searchable database for recalled products: www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm.