FDA Plans More Peanut Butter Inspections

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

FDA Plans More Peanut Butter Inspections

Saturday April 7, 12:16 AM EDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it will increase the frequency of investigations at plants that make peanut butter and similar products, saying this year's salmonella outbreak showed peanut butter is riskier than health officials had thought.

All Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter that ConAgra Foods Inc. made at its Sylvester, Ga., plant was recalled in February after health officials linked the product to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 400 people nationwide.

"Up until this point, peanut butter has not been considered a high-risk food," said Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "We now know peanut butter can be a vehicle for salmonella."

Acheson said peanut butter will almost certainly move up on the FDA's list of high-risk foods, and the agency bases its inspection schedule on the relative risk of foods. He said peanut butter is not likely to knock fresh produce off the top of that list, because the risks are highest with foods that don't get cooked later.

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[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Thanks, but I'll continue to make my own

at my friendly health food store. If there's any problem, I know the grinder personally.

[kestrel91316]

2. Homemade PB is GREAT. I saw some recipes for nut butters

in Cooking Light, I think, a few years ago. Made some PB in my food processor. It was really easy.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. yep

after you make your own, you never want to go back to the kind in the jars.

[brer cat]

4. I'm going to hit google for some recipes.

Never thought about making my own pb. It's a staple for my grands, and we really freaked when the recall came out. Thanks for the idea.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. You'll love it

and because you make it yourself, you don't have to worry about fillers.

[Whoa_Nelly]

7. Also, best to use organically grown peanuts

as the commercially grown ones have a high pesticide content.

After reading the posts re: homemade PB, it sounds delicious. Looked up the "how to" on Google...Waaaaaaaaay easy!
Thanks for posting about it!

[Chemical Bill]

6. They'll take some inspectors off of the Mad Cow detail. n/t