By Jeri Clausing

The Department of Justice is seeking a permanent injunction against the nation's largest organic peanut butter plant, an eastern New Mexico facility that has been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 42 people in 20 states this fall. 

The request filed Thursday in federal court in Albuquerque seeks to prohibit Sunland Inc. in Portales from receiving, processing, manufacturing or selling any nut products until the Food and Drug Administration is satisfied its operations are safe.

It wasn't immediately clear what prompted federal prosecutors to get involved in the case against Sunland, whose registration to operate was revoked by the FDA last month because of repeated safety violations.

That order came as the company had planned to reopen some its operations after voluntarily recalling hundreds of products and closing its processing and peanut butter plants in late September and early October.

Last week, a Sunland spokeswoman said the company was hoping to get permission from the FDA to reopen its peanut processing plant so it could begin work on the millions of pounds of Valencia peanuts piled up in barns after a bumper harvest this fall.

Plant officials didn't immediately return phone calls Friday seeking comment.

The FDA's revocation of the company's operation certification marked the first time the FDA used the authority granted under a 2011 food safety law that allows the agency to halt food operations without a court hearing.

The action was denounced as unfair and unnecessarily heavy-handed by many in the conservative farm town of Portales, where Sunland is the largest private employer. At the end of November, the plant had laid off about 30 percent of its 150 workers.

The FDA said inspectors found samples of salmonella in 28 different locations in the plant, in 13 nut butter samples and in one sample of raw peanuts. Inspectors found improper handling of the products, unclean equipment and uncovered trailers of peanuts outside the facility that were exposed to rain and birds. Inspectors also said employees lacked access to hand-washing sinks, and dirty hands had direct contact with ready-to-package peanuts.

The FDA said it inspected the plant at least four times over the past five years, each time finding violations. Michael Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods, said the agency's inspections after the outbreak found even worse problems than what had been seen there before.

Plant officials have said they were never notified of past violations.

The salmonella outbreak was traced to Trader Joe's Valencia peanut butter produced at the plant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 people were sickened, mostly children. Sunland is the nation's largest organic peanut butter plant. It produces organic, natural and traditional products for a number of national grocery and retail chains using mostly Valencia peanuts.

Valencias are a variety of peanuts that come almost exclusively from eastern New Mexico. Because of their sweet flavor, they are favored for organic and natural peanut butter products because they require few additives.

Federal Food and Drug Administration officials have suspended the food facility registration of a New Mexico peanut producer linked to more than 40 illnesses and the recall of vast quantities of peanuts and peanut butter from retailers such as Trader Joe's. 

The suspension, announced Monday, is the first use of the FDA's new authority to suspend company operations under the Food Safety Modernization Act, which took effect in January 2011. It effectively prohibits Sunland Inc. of Portales, N.M., from introducing food into interstate or intrastate commerce. 

"The fact that peanut butter made by the company has been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney that has sickened 41 people in 20 states, coupled with Sunland's history of violations led FDA to make the decision to suspend the company's registration," the FDA wrote in a statement. 

Additionally, FDA officials found salmonella bacteria in 28 samples from surfaces in production or manufacturing areas during recent inspections, and in 13 nut butter samples and one sample of raw peanuts. The agency said that Sunland shipped portions of 11 lots of peanut and nut butters even though the firm's own internal inspection documents revealed that they were tainted with nine kinds of salmonella. The company denied shipping contaminated products. 

FDA officials said they notified Sunland representatives in a letter Monday. Katalin Coburn, a Sunland vice president, said the move came as "a complete surprise."

She said Sunland officials were planning to restart peanut processing operations when they received notice of the suspension. Firm officials believed they had addressed all of FDA's concerns, she said. 

"I don't view it as a stand-off," she said. "I know everyone at Sunland has been fully cooperating with the FDA."

The order offers Sunland the opportunity to request an informal hearing on certain issues related to the order, the FDA said. If, after the hearing, the FDA maintains the suspension, the agency will require Sunland to submit a corrective action plan to address current problems and implement a "sustainable solution" for the future. The firm's registration would be reinstated only when FDA determines the company has met those standards. 

Related stories: 

• 9 kinds of salmonella found in peanut butter from NM plant
• Trader Joe's peanut butter recalled for salmonella risk

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's peanut butter made from Sunland Inc. nuts were tied to a salmonella outbreak that sickened 41 people in 20 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

A New Mexico peanut plant tied to a food poisoning outbreak that sickened dozens sent potentially tainted lots out the door even after its internal testing found at least nine different types of salmonella in peanut and almond butters, Food and Drug Administration officials said. Two of the 11 lots included the outbreak strain of the bacteria.

The pathogens were also found  throughout the peanut plant operated by Sunland Inc. in Portales, N.M., where FDA inspectors found salmonella in 28 environmental samples between mid-September and mid-October.

But the company's president and chief executive denied that the firm shipped tainted products and said its response to FDA would make that clear. 

"At no time in its twenty four year history has Sunland, Inc. released for distribution any products that it knew to be potentially contaminated with harmful microorganisms," Jimmie Shearer said in a statement posted on the company's website. "The Company has followed internal testing protocols that it believed resulted in the isolation and destruction of any product that did not pass the test designed to detect the presence of any contaminants."

The month-long FDA inspection of the Sunland plant that supplied peanut butter, nut butters and other nut products to major retailers including Trader Joes, Whole Foods and Harry and David found dirty equipment and slipshod food safety and cleaning practices that may have raised the risk of serious illness -- including food poisoning and life-threatening allergic reactions.

Specifically, the company failed to clean production and packaging equipment between runs of nuts such as peanuts, which contain allergens. In May 2011, the firm received a complaint that a child had developed anaphylactic shock after eating almond butter that contained peanut allergens, the FDA said.

The 11-page report says that employees improperly handled equipment, containers and utensils, failed to wash their hands and had bare-handed contact with ready-to-package peanuts.

Inspectors also noted that the company left trailers full of raw, in-shell peanuts uncovered outdoors, where they were exposed to the elements, including rain and animals.

“Birds too numerous to count were observed flying over and landing on the peanuts in the trailers,” the report finds.

Salmonella infections tied to recalled Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt sickened 41 people in 20 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ten people were hospitalized; there were no deaths.

But at least 240 products have been recalled in the outbreak that started with the Trader Joe’s products, with some dating back to 2010. That included nearly 2 million pounds of whole peanuts produced by the Hines Nut Co. and sold nationally in supermarkets such as Wal-mart and Dollar General stores. For a list of recalled products, click here.

Inspectors found that Sunland’s own internal testing program documented at least nine and up to 13 types of salmonella in peanut butter products the company produced and distributed.

That includes the salmonella Bredeney that caused the infections linked to the Trader Joe’s peanut butter. In addition, they found the salmonella strains Newport, Dallgow, Arapahoe, Teddington, Cerro, Mbandaka, Kubacha and Meleagridis in various lots of the products. They also detected a strain that might have been one of three types of salmonella: Othmarschen, Oranienburg, Winston or Oakey.

But the FDA also found salmonella in five product samples that were not identified by the firm’s internal testing -- including the outbreak strain of salmonella Bredeney.

The Sunland plant remains closed. FDA officials say they are evaluating the firm’s response to the inspection report.

Related stories:

• Trader Joe's peanut butter recalled for salmonella risk
• Peanut butter recall spreads to other nut products, major retailers

By Steve Karnowski
AP

Officials have told school lunch programs across the country to check to see whether they have any Smucker's Uncrustables sandwiches that might contain peanut butter made by a New Mexico company that is being recalled because of potential salmonella contamination.

The J.M. Smucker Co. used peanut butter that was produced by Sunland Inc. and supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in "limited production runs" of 72-count bulk packs of the sandwiches that went to schools under the National School Lunch Program, Smucker's spokeswoman Maribeth Badertscher said in an email Thursday.

Related post: Peanut plant closed after feds find more salmonella

Uncrustables are pre-made peanut butter and jelly, pocket-like, circular sandwiches.

The Orrville, Ohio-based company tests all the incoming USDA-supplied peanut butter it gets, and tests finished products before distributing them, and found no problems, she said.

But out of "an abundance of caution," and working with federal agencies, she said, Smucker's recently notified school customers that they should check to see if they still have any of the crustless frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the recalled lots, which all have either expired or will expire soon. They should not be served to students, the company said.

No other Smucker's products contain peanut butter from Sunland or other outside suppliers, Badertscher said. She said she did not immediately know how many sandwiches were involved.

Related post: Peanut butter plant tests positive for salmonella; recall widens

Sunland shut down its plant in Portales, N.M., last month and recalled more than 200 products made under a variety of brand names after salmonella was found in Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter. Thirty-five illnesses in 19 states have been linked to Sunland, but no illnesses have been linked to the Uncrustable sandwiches.

"When USDA learned of the FDA recall of certain products manufactured by Sunland, Inc., we coordinated with state agencies to immediately notify individual school districts and ensure that recalled products were identified and destroyed," USDA spokeswoman Alyn Kiel said in an email.

Federal health officials have detected salmonella in bulk raw and roasted peanuts produced by a New Mexico supplier and in an associated nut butter facility, all tied to an outbreak of food poisoning that has sickened nearly three dozen people and sent potentially contaminated products to major retailers across the nation.

Sunland Inc. of Portales, N.M., expanded its ongoing recall to include raw and roasted shelled and in-shell peanuts sold in quantities ranging from 2 ounces to 50 pounds, including products within current shelf life and those with no expiration date, Food and Drug Administration officials announced Saturday.

As of Oct. 5, the outbreak of salmonella Bredeney linked to the company's peanut products had sickened 35 people in 19 states and sent eight to the hospital. Nearly two thirds of those affected were children younger than 10, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illnesses have been tied to those who ate Trader Joe's Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt. 

FDA officials previously had detected salmonella in the environment of the plants that make products sold to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Harry & David and a slew of other processors and retailers across the country. But officials now have found salmonella in the main plant's raw and roasted bulk peanuts and they've also detected the outbreak strain of salmonella Bredeney in the nut butter plant. 

Sunland has ceased production and distribution from both its nut butter and peanut processing plants, FDA officials reported.

The raw and roasted peanuts available to retail customers were distributed under the company's own name and sent to numerous large grocery and retail chains. 

The number of products associated with the company’s recall has continued to expand over recent weeks, climbing to more than 240. On Monday, Think Thin bars issued a recall of bars link to the peanut recall, according to supermarket chains Giant Food and Stop & Shop. A full list of recalled products can be found here.

Consumers should not eat any products associated with Sunland and should discard them immediately, FDA officials warned. That is especially important for children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, who are most vulnerable to dangerous salmonella infections.

Related stories:

• Trader Joe's peanut butter recalled for salmonella risk
• Peanut butter tests positive for salmonella; recall widens

Salmonella contamination has been detected at a New Mexico plant that supplied nut butters to Trader Joe’s and other major retailers, including products now linked to a food poisoning outbreak that has sickened 35 people in 19 states.

Food and Drug Administration officials confirmed Friday that they found salmonella on various surfaces in the Sunland Inc. production facility in Portales, N.M. They had not yet isolated the specific strain.

However, agriculture officials in Washington state isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney from an opened jar of Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Peanut Butter collected from an infected patient, officials said. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said another outbreak of salmonella, this one from dirty cantaloupes, was over.

Sunland has expanded its original recall to include all nut butter products made at the plant between March 1, 2010 and Sept. 24, 2012. The expanded recall now includes 240 products and covers all previously identified peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter and tahini products as well as roasted blanched peanuts. New categories added to the list include several varieties of flavored butters and spreads. Of the added recalled products, about 50 have best-by dates that have not expired, while another 90 have best-by dates that have expired, but may still be in consumers' homes.

The Sunland recall has sparked a cascade of additional recalls from retailers including Whole Foods, Harry & David and others. For a complete list of recalled products, click here.

Consumers should not eat recalled peanut butter or other recalled products that contain nuts and seeds produced by Sunland, the CDC warned. That’s especially important for children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems.

Two-thirds of the victims sickened by the peanut butter products are children; the median age of victims is 7. Eight people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include fever, abdominal cramping and diarrhea 12 to 72 hours after infection. Most people recover without treatment, but the infection can turn serious in some, requiring hospitalization.

Later on Friday the CDC said an outbreak of salmonella in cantaloupes was over. In all, 261 people were infected and three died. Ninety-four were hospitalized. "Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that cantaloupe originating from Chamberlain Farms Produce, Inc. of Owensville, Indiana, was the source of this outbreak," CDC said in a statement.

Related stories: 

• Trader Joe's peanut butter recalled for salmonella risk
• Peanut butter recall spreads to other nut products, major retailers
• Salmonella in cantaloupe: toll rises

A New Mexico company has expanded its recall of peanut butter and almond butter to include cashew butters, tahini and blanched and roasted peanut products.

Sunland Inc. sells its nuts and nut butters to large groceries and other food distributors around the country. The company recalled products under multiple brand names after salmonella illnesses were linked Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, one of the brands manufactured by Sunland.

Trader Joe's peanut butter recalled for salmonella risk

The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention says there are now 30 illnesses in 19 states that can be traced to the Trader Joe's peanut butter. No other foods have been linked to the illnesses, but Sunland recalled other products manufactured on the same equipment as the Trader Joe's product.

In addition to Trader Joe's, the recall includes nut products sold at Whole Foods Market, Target, Fresh & Easy, Giant Food, Harry and David, Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and several other stores. Some of the stores used Sunland ingredients in items they prepared and packaged themselves.

Click for the FDA's full list of recalled nut products

Brand names recalled include Archer Farms, Earth Balance, Fresh & Easy, Late July, Heinen's, Joseph's, Natural Value, Naturally More, Open Nature, Peanut Power Butter, Serious Food, Snaclite Power, Sprouts Farmers Market, Sprout's, Sunland and Dogsbutter, among others.

Sunland's recall includes 101 products, and several retailers have issued additional recalls including items made with Sunland ingredients.

Those sickened reported becoming ill between June 11 and Sept. 11, according to the CDC. Almost two-thirds of those who became ill were children under the age of 10. No deaths have been reported.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 hours to 72 hours after infection. It is most dangerous to children, the elderly and others with weak immune systems.

More top health news:

Abuse of smallest babies may have risen, study finds

Stand up -- or your kidneys may suffer

"Smiles": New street drug tied to actor's death

Trader Joe's

Sunland Inc., of Portales, N.M., which makes Trader Joe's peanut butter linked to a salmonella outbreak, has recalled dozens more products.

The maker of Trader Joe’s peanut butter tied to a multi-state salmonella outbreak has pulled dozens of additional peanut and almond products because of possible contamination.

Sunland Inc. of Portales, N.M., has voluntarily recalled 76 different products, including three brands of Trader Joe’s peanut butter, according to a press release issued Monday. Those products were manufactured on the same line as the Trader Joe's products. 

U.S. health officials on Saturday warned consumers not to eat Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter after the product was linked to 29 infections in 18 states linked to the rare salmonella Bredeney.

UPDATE: Thirty people in 19 states have now been confirned to be infected with the outbreak strain of salmonella Bredeney, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Tuesday.

The other two Trader Joe’s brands that have been recalled include Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, Crunchy and Salted and Trader Joe’s Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, Crunchy and Salted.

In addition, Sunland is recalling peanut and almond products sold under popular brands including Archer’s, Earth Balance, Fresh & Easy, Heinen’s, Natural Value, Naturally More, Open Nature, Serious Food, Silly Prices, Sprout's and Sprouts Farmers Market, among others. The recall applied to products with best-by dates between May 1, 2013 and Sept. 24, 2013.

For a full list of recalled products, click here.

The peanut and almond products were manufactured between May 1 and Sept. 24, said Katalin Coburn, Sunland’s vice president for media relations.

Infections were reported between June 11 and Sept. 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four people have been hospitalized. The median age of the victims is 7, and three-quarters of those sickened have been under age 18.

States where infections have been reported include Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Washington state.

Coburn said the company was conducting the recall even though their own tests had detected no positive results for salmonella Bredeney, which she called “a particularly cunning strain.” The production line in question can make about 6,000 tons of nut products in an hour, she added.

In fact, salmonella Bredeney didn’t make the top 20 list of the most frequently reported serotypes confirmed by the CDC in 2009.

“It’s very difficult to detect,” Coburn said, adding that pulling so many products was “possibly an overkill step.”

The Food and Drug Administration said it was especially important that young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems avoid eating the potentially contaminated peanut or almond products.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping within 12 to 72 hours of infection. Illness may last four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. However, some people may develop a more serious illness that requires hospitalization.

Health officials recommended that consumers discard the nut products. Trader Joe’s invited shoppers to return the products for full refunds.

Related stories: 

• Trader Joe's peanut butter recalled for salmonella risk
• Ricotta salata on import alert after listeria outbreak

By The Associated Press

J.M. Smucker Co. is recalling thousands of 16-ounce jars of its Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter Chunky because of possible salmonella contamination.

The Ohio-based company says the jars covered in the recall would have been purchased in the last week or so. They have "Best if Used By" dates of Aug. 3, 2012 and Aug. 4, 2012, plus the production codes 1307004 and 1308004.

Smucker says 3,000 jars are being recalled from stores. Another 16,000 had never left warehouses.

Salmonella is bacteria resulting in fever, cramps and diarrhea that lasts for several days and can require hospitalization.

Smucker says no illnesses have been reported.

The product was distributed in: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.