After causing a 2012 Salmonella outbreak that sickened 42 people in 20 states, Sunland Inc., the nation’s largest producer of organic peanut butter, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. A 30-page list of roughly 1,000 creditors was among the documents included in he Portales, NM company’s voluntary filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Mexico October 9. The company listed sales of $54 million for the period ending August 31 2011, $55 million for the period ending August 31, 2012 and $43 million for the period ending August 31, 2013. At the time of filing, Sunland claimed $51.5 million in liabilities and $49.4 million in assets, according to court documents. Sunland is also named as the defendant in several civil lawsuits stemming from the outbreak including one … [Read more...]
After Salmonella Outbreak, Sunland is Sued by its Insurer
After a Salmonella outbreak was linked to the peanut butter it produces last year, Sunland Inc. of Portales, NM is being sued by its insurance company, Great American Alliance Insurance Co. of Cincinnati. At issue is who is responsible for paying claims brought against Sunland by those who were sickened by the peanut butter. The suit, case number 1:13-cv-00677-MRB , was filed September 24 in the Southern District of Ohio Western Division. The outbreak, the sixth largest largest multi-state food poisoning outbreak of 2012, sickened 42 people in 20 states and launched more than 250 product recalls for potential contamination including brands of Trader Joe’s, Newman’s Own, Earth Balance, Harry & David, Target’s Archer Farms and Safeway’s Open Nature. The peanut butter also made … [Read more...]
Sunland Plant Linked to 2012 Salmonella Outbreak Restarts
The Sunland plant that made peanut butter linked to a 2012 Salmonella Bredeney outbreak is restarting and could have products on store shelves within the next month according to AP. Forty-two people in 20 states were sickened in that outbreak. Ten people were hospitalized; there were no deaths. Sixty-one percent of ill persons in that outbreak were children under the age of 10. Trader Joe's Valencia Creamy Peanut Butter made with sea salt was a likely source of this outbreak. Last November, the FDA suspended Sunland's food facility registration. The outbreak spurred a huge recall that eventually included pet food, ice cream, candy, in-shell peanuts, energy bars, nut butters, and premade appetizers and entrees. The plant closing was the first time the FDA used its authority granted by … [Read more...]
Sunland Restarts Operations at Peanut Mill Plant After Salmonella Outbreak
The FDA has reinstated Sunland's food facility registration after the Salmonella Bredeney outbreak last fall that sickened 42 people in 20 states. The FDA suspended Sunland's registration on November 26, 2012. And U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson imposed a consent decree on the facility on December 21, 2012, shutting it down. The FDA's actions were the first use of the agency's authority to stop shipment of products into commerce, through the Food Safety Modernization Act. According to the consent decree, the company could not "process or distribute food from its peanut butter plant or peanut mill plant in Portales, New Mexico, until it has complied with the consent decree's requirements to the agency's satisfaction." The FDA investigated the Portales plant after the Salmonella … [Read more...]
Largest Multi-State Food Poisoning Outbreaks Of 2012: #6
A Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter produced by Sunland Inc. of Portales, NM was the sixth largest largest multi-state food poisoning outbreak of 2012, based on the total number of people sickened. The outbreak sickened 42 people in 20 states and spawned more than 250 product recalls for potential contamination including Trader Joe's, Newman's Own, Earth Balance, Harry & David, Target's Archer Farms and Safeway's Open Nature. The potentially tainted peanut butter also made its way into the National School Lunch program via Smucker’s Uncrustables and bulk drums. Sixty one percent of those sickened by the outbreak were children under 10. The median age was 7. The age range for all patients was less than one to 79 years old. Fifty-nine percent of patients were male. No deaths … [Read more...]
Federal Judge Signs Consent Decree Against Sunland Inc.
U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson of the District of New Mexico has signed a consent decree placing requirements on Sunland Inc., the manufacturer of peanut products linked to a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney. The decree is intended to keep potentially harmful products from entering commerce. Epidemiological evidence that linked Sunland to the nationwide outbreak, as well as a history of violations led to the consent decree. The FDA suspended Sunland's registration on November 26, 2012. This was the first time the agency's authority to prohibit a food facility from introducing product into the marketplace was used. That power was granted under the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael Taylor said, "when the … [Read more...]
Sunland Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Salmonella Outbreak Over
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that the multistate outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney linked to Sunland's Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter appears to be over. The last illness was reported on September 21, 2012. A total of 42 people from 20 states were infected with the outbreak strain of the bacteria. Sixty-one percent of ill persons were children under the age of four. Ten people were hospitalized in this outbreak. Attorney Fred Pritzker, who has been contacted by some victims of this outbreak, stresses that these illnesses were completely preventable and solely the responsibility of Sunland and its distributors. "Peanut butter is easily contaminated with Salmonella and other bacteria. The facilities that produce it and those who distribute it … [Read more...]
FDA Says Rapid Response Helped Contain Sunland Peanut Butter Salmonella Outbreak
The Food and Drug Administration has released a consumer update, stating that their rapid response helped contain the Salmonella Bredeney outbreak linked to Sunland peanut butter. The product that caused the outbreak was Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt. The outbreak sickened 41 people in 20 states. Attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented people in outbreaks like this, said, "Sunland had a responsibility to produce their peanut butter in a clean and safe environment. Ready to eat foods especially must be wholesome and free of contamination, or people will get sick." The outbreak was originally spotted in early September 2012, when reports of Salmonella Bredeney infections began. Many of those sickened were children, which raised a red flag with … [Read more...]
Sunland Says Shutdown After Salmonella Outbreak Unexpected
Sunland Inc., the peanut butter maker at the heart of a massive recall and Salmonella outbreak, says its shutdown by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this week was "unexpected" and that it hopes to resume operations soon. Under its first use of authority granted by the Food Safety Modernization Act, the agency on Monday suspended the company’s food facility registration, prohibiting it from doing business. The suspension follows an outbreak linked to peanut butter produced at the company's plant in Portales, NM that has sickened at least 41 people in 20 sates, a massive recall involving more than 250 products- including peanut buter that was used to make sandwiches served to children through the National School Lunch Program; and five-year history of food safety … [Read more...]
Sunland Peanut Butter Recall Reaches Europe
The Sunland peanut butter recall has reached Europe. Months after the recall due to Salmonella contamination was announced in the US, European health officials are warning residents about the dangers associated with products containing Sunland peanut butter. Although the initial recall was said not to include products distributed in Europe, US authorities now say it’s possible that some recalled products were distributed to a number of European countries including the UK. The recalled products were likely not sold in supermarkets, but rather available for purchase over the Internet or from specialty shops that import American foods. The UK’s Food Standards Agency, which has requested, but not yet received, distribution information from the US authorities, has asked local authorities to … [Read more...]
