According to an Associated Press news story, three environmental events contributed to the Salmonella outbreak at ConAgra’s Peter Pan peanut butter plant in Sylvester, GA. A leaky roof and two sprinkler system sprayings due to a defective sprinkler caused excessive dampness, which promoted the growth of dormant Salmonella bacteria that came into contact with peanut dust and raw peanuts.
“We will make significant investment in and changes to the manufacturing environment to ensure this situation does not occur again,” said Gary Rodkin, ConAgra Foods’ CEO. “We are committed to the highest possible standards of food safety throughout our operations and believe the measures we are outlining today will clearly strengthen that foundation.”