Peanut Corporation of America’s top executives, including former CEO Stewart Parnell, were sentenced to prison for causing the 2014 salmonella outbreak.

Stewart Parnell, the former CEO of Peanut Corporation of America, was sentenced to more than two decades in prison for knowingly shipping peanut butter contaminated with salmonella across the nation.

The company’s Georgia manufacturing plant was responsible for the one of the largest food safety recalls in history. The executives were charged for causing the 2014 salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds of others.

Executives Convicted

The contamination was sourced to a manufacturing plant in Blakely, Georgia before it spread to 46 states across the United States. The plant is now closed.
Image: Reuters

The top executives were aware that the peanut butter contained salmonella. Because they had knowledge of the contamination, Parnell was implicated on federal conspiracy charges.

But Parnell isn’t going down alone. His brother, 56-year-old Michael Parnell, was a food broker for the corporation. He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

It seems that U.S. District Judge Louis Sands was generous in handing out sentences, which could have amounted to life in prison for Parnell and 24 years for his brother.

Another co-conspirator, Mary Wilkerson, was found guilty of obstruction of justice. She is 41 years old and will spend the next five years in prison.

Trial and Testimony

Salmonella is estimated to cause one million illnesses in the United States, with 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths every year, according to the CDC.
Image: The Daily Meal

Prosecutors made the case that the Parnell brothers were aware of the salmonella contamination for years. They reportedly falsified certification information despite laboratory tests that came up positive for salmonella.

However, the Parnell brothers said they never knowingly endangered customers.

“No one thought that the products were unsafe or could harm someone,” said Stewart Parnell’s daughter, Grey Parnell. “Dad brought them home to us. We all ate it.”

Many of victim’s family members were present at the trial and took the opportunity to testify on behalf of their loved ones.

In 2009, Minnesota resident Jeff Almer’s mother Shirley Almer died after eating tainted peanut butter.

“My mother died a painful death from salmonella, and the look of horror on her face as she died shall always haunt me,” he said. “I just hope they ship you all to jail.”

Almer and others victims of the 2014 salmonella outbreak had their wish come true. But in the American legal system, the chance for appeal always exists.

Tom Bondurant Jr., the Parnell’s attorney, vowed to file an appeal on the grounds that the sentences are too harsh. The men will have to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before they can be considered for parole.

“Given the ages of these two men, this is a life sentence,” Bondurant said.

The Crunchy Truth

Stewart Parnell was given a felony conviction, which marks the longest sentence for an executive in a food safety case.
Image: CNN

It’s no surprise that Peanut Corporation of America has been dissolved. But the decades-long sentence is unusual in a food contamination case.

According to the Justice Department, it’s one of the longest sentences in U.S. history.

Parnell is 61 years old, which means that he will be in lockup until he reaches the age of 89. If the full sentence is enforced, it’s possible that he will die behind bars.

“This has been a seven-year nightmare for me and my family. I’m truly, truly sorry for what’s happened,” Parnell said at the trial.

The post Judge Sentences Peanut Butter Executives For Salmonella Outbreak appeared first on Citizens Report.

A&W’s Limited Edition Pole Grown Cucumbers that may contain salmonella are the subject of a nationwide recall.

Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce (A&W) has issued a voluntary recall of Limited Edition® label cucumbers that may be the source of a recent salmonella outbreak.

A&W is located in San Diego, California, but the contaminated cucumbers have been sold in an estimated 22 states. The most recent salmonella outbreak has spread to 27 states.

Recall Details

The Salmonella Poona outbreak has spread to 27 states while the food industry scrambles to find the source.
Image: Morning Ticker

The recall includes produce labeled “Limited Edition Pole Grown Cucumbers,” sometimes referred to as “Slicer” or “American” cucumbers. The cucumbers are dark green, measuring 7 to 10 inches with a diameter of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. They were sold between Aug. 1 and Sept. 3, 2015.

A&W is recalling the produce because it may be linked to the most recent outbreak of Salmonella Poona. The toll includes 285 reported cases in 27 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include:

• fever
• diarrhea
• bloody stool
• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal pain

Salmonella can cause fatal infections in children, elderly people or anyone with a weakened immune system. The virus can also infect the bloodstream, leading to more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

The cucumbers were grown in California and sold in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.

They product would have been sold as a wholesale bundle package in supermarkets or served in salads at restaurants. Consumers could come into contact with the product through retail, food service companies, wholesalers or brokers.

Recall Solution

Hundreds have been sickened by cucumbers contaminated with salmonella. Two of the infected have died.
Image: Yahoo

In addition to recalling the product, A&W has halted the marketing, harvesting and packing of cucumbers that could be contaminated with salmonella. The company is working hard to find the source of the salmonella outbreak and prevent the virus from continuing to spread.

If you bought A&W’s Limited Edition® brand cucumbers, do not consume them. Return the product for a full refund or immediately throw them away.

If you have any questions, contact the company through the A&W website or by phone at (844) 483-3864.

The post Food Safety Recall: A&W Cucumbers Contain Salmonella appeared first on Citizens Report.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in January that the outbreak, which has been going on since March 2013, appeared to be over. But the agency said there was an uptick in illnesses in February.

It released the latest figures on Wednesday. Though no one has died, the CDC says the outbreak strains have been resistant to several commonly prescribed antibiotics, and 37 percent of those infected have been hospitalized, a higher rate than normal.

Find out which state has been most affected.

The post The yearlong Salmonella outbreak appeared first on Citizens Report.