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clear what prompted federal prosecutors to get involved in the case against Sunland, whose registration to operate was revoked by the FDA last month because of repeated safety violations.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.

A Colorado company is refusing to recall chicken jerky dog treats potentially contaminated with salmonella bacteria, prompting federal health regulators to urge consumers to keep them away from pets.

The Food and Drug Administration warned pet owners Thursday not to feed dogs certain Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats packaged and distributed by Kasel Associated Industries of Denver.

The warning is not related to the ongoing investigation of reported illnesses and deaths in pets that consumed chicken jerky treats made in China.

Kasel officials previously recalled additional lots of Nature’s Deli chicken jerky treats, Boots & Barkley Roasted American Pig Ears and Boots & Barkley American Variety Pack Dog Treats, and Boots & Barkley American Beef Bully Sticks -- bull penis treats -- after they tested positive for salmonella that could cause illness.

But FDA officials said firm officials “declined” to conduct a voluntary recall of the newly implicated treats.

The products in question are Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats sold in 3-pound packages with a lot code of BESTBY061913DEN. A retail sample of the treats tested positive for salmonella in November, Colorado Department of Agriculture exams showed.

The products are sold at Costco, which has pulled them from store shelves and is working to notify customers who bought them, an FDA spokeswoman said.

No reports of illness have been linked to the treats, the FDA said.

People and animals could contract salmonella either by handling or eating the contaminated products.

Infection with salmonella bacteria typically causes short-term illness in healthy people, but can cause serious complications in those with weak immune systems.

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• 3 big brands may be tied to chicken jerky illness in dogs, FDA records show

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

Nestle

Nestle has recalled certain sizes of its Nesquik chocolate powder drink mix because of possible salmonella contamination.

Chocolate giant Nestle USA is recalling some lots of its Nesquik chocolate powder drink mix because it might be contaminated with salmonella.

Containers of the popular children’s drink mix produced in early October have been voluntarily recalled after one of the company’s suppliers, Omya Inc., on Tuesday recalled large batches of calcium carbonate, a food additive, because of possible salmonella contamination.

Recalled Nesquik includes the 10.9-ounce, 21.8-ounce and 40.7-ounce canisters, which were distributed nationally. No other varieties of Nesquik powder or any sizes or flavors of Nesquik ready-to-drink products are affected by the recall.

To check the affected UPC codes, click here. Nestle USA is headquartered in Glendale, Calif.

Shoppers who bought the recalled Nesquik chocolate drink mix powder should not consume it, but should return the product to the place of purchase for a refund. People with questions should call Nestle Consumer Services at (800) 628-7679.

Omya Inc. recalled three lots of 50-pound, 2000-pound and 2,500-pound bags of food-grade limestone, also called calcium carbonate, produced at its Superior, Ariz., plant.

Calcium carbonate is used in a wide range of consumer products, including toothpaste, chewing gum, candies, frostings – and drink mixes.

No reports of illness or adverse events have been associated with the Omya or Nestle recalls, the manufacturers said.

Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, which can develop within eight hours to 72 hours of eating or drinking contaminated food. The illness can last for a week, but some people -- including children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems -- can become seriously ill, even requiring hospitalization. 

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• Turtle take-back program aims to curb salmonella risk
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Sam Panthaky / AFP - Getty Images

Baby red-eared slider turtles may be cute, but they can also carry dangerous salmonella bacteria. Petco, a retail chain, has offered to take back unwanted turtles and send them to a Louisiana turtle farm.

Multiple outbreaks of salmonella infections tied to tiny pet turtles have drawn sharp warnings from government health officials and an unusual offer from a leading pet retailer: Return them here.

Petco, the pet products chain, has launched a “turtle relinquishment program” aimed at both curbing illness and giving the rejected reptiles new homes.

Dawn Burch, veterinary relations manager for Petco, said the firm started accepting wayward turtles in May, just about the time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began warning about growing numbers of salmonella infections tied to the aquatic critters.

As of last week, 219 people in 34 states had been sickened in six overlapping outbreaks by salmonella found in small turtles sold in souvenir shops and at street fairs, CDC officials said. Infections have been caused by three rare strains of salmonella: Sandiego, Pomona and Poona.

“We saw this concern through the CDC and we thought, ‘How can we help in this situation?’” Burch said.

So far, 111 people in 10 states have taken Petco up on the offer and returned the turtles, typically red-eared sliders with shells that measure less than 4 inches across. People who want to participate can simply take the turtles to the nearest store. Though the CDC warning applies to the smallest turtles, Petco will accept turtles of any size, Burch said. 

Petco has an agreement to send the turtles to Concordia Turtle Farm in Jonesville, La., which hatches, raises and sells turtles in the U.S. and abroad. Daisy DeWitt, a staffer at the farm, said the turtles are treated for any signs of salmonella and then placed in clean tanks where they thrive.

Some three million to four million red-eared sliders are exported from the U.S. every year, including many sent to foreign countries where they are regarded as pets -- and sometimes as delicacies to eat, according to a turtle-protection group called the Tortoise Trust.

Getting the turtles out of the hands of young children -- literally -- is the main concern of the CDC, said Lola Russell, an agency spokeswoman. The salmonella infections were detected in six separate but overlapping outbreaks dating from June 2011 to late September. Thirty-six people were hospitalized; no deaths were reported.

Two-thirds of those sickened in the outbreak have been children younger than 10; 30 percent of those who became ill are babies younger than 1, according to the CDC report. Infection typically occurs when young children handle turtles or related objects and then put their hands in their mouths. 

Half of those who got sick were Hispanic, said officials, who issued warnings in Spanish and English.

Small turtles are a well-known source of salmonella infections, particularly in children. The risk is so strong, the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale and distribution of turtles with shells less than 4 inches wide in 1975.

However, the small turtles still continue to show up in souvenir shops, flea markets and street fairs, where the risk of salmonella infection continues.

“Many people don’t know that turtles and other reptiles can carry germs that can make people very sick,” Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinarian and deputy chief of the CDC’s outbreak response and prevention branch, said in a statement.

“For this reason, turtles and other reptiles might not be the best pets for your family, especially if there are children 5 years and younger or people with weakened immune systems living in your home.”

Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people recover within several days, but some people -- particularly the very young, the very old and those with weak immune systems -- become very ill and may require hospitalization.

CDC officials are aware of the Petco turtle take-back program, but they don’t have a formal agreement with the company, Russell said.

“We don’t endorse any particular program,” she said. “But we do recommend that children under 5 don’t handle these turtles.”

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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

Smoked salmon tainted with salmonella bacteria has sickened hundreds of people in the Netherlands and the United States, sparking a major recall, health authorities said Tuesday.

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment said the salmon has been traced to Dutch company Foppen, which sells fish to many major Dutch supermarkets and to stores around the world, including the United States.

The institute said in a statement that around 200 people — and likely more — in the Netherlands and more than 100 people in the United States have been sickened.

Foppen also estimated the number of infections was higher.

Company spokesman Bart de Vries said that since the company set up a public information phone line two days ago, some 1,400 people had called and around 350 of the callers "reported symptoms consistent with a salmonella infection."

Those infected by the salmonella bacteria can suffer symptoms including fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

De Vries said that in the United States the company sells only to wholesaler Costco and that Costco would deal with any U.S. recall. It was not immediately clear how much contaminated fish had been sold in America. A message left at Costco's headquarters before office hours was not immediately returned.

Roel Vincken of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, which carried out tests confirming the salmonella outbreak, said he had no information on a U.S. recall.

De Vries said the company did not believe contaminated fish had been sold to any other countries.

Foppen, which processes fish in the Netherlands and at a factory in Greece, is investigating the cause of the outbreak.

"The investigation into the cause is under way and has been narrowed down to one production line at one factory (in Greece)," De Vries told The Associated Press. "We can't yet say what the cause of the infection was."

Foppen has halted all production of smoked salmon until the investigation is completed, he added.

Related:

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Kasel Associated Industries

Boots & Barkley 6-count, 5-inch American Beef Bully Sticks have been recalled because the products tested positive for salmonella.

A Denver company is recalling packages of its pet treats made from dried bull penises -- known as “bully sticks” -- after they tested positive for salmonella.

Kasel Associated Industries launched the voluntary recall after routine testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture detected the contamination in packs of Boots & Barkley 6-count, 5-inch American Beef Bully Sticks, the company said.

The recalled pet treats were sold nationwide at Target retail stores from April through September.

The product comes in clear plastic bags containing six bully sticks marked with the bar code number 647263899189. Kasel is recalling all lot numbers after the following lot codes tested positive for salmonella: BESTBY20APR2014DEN, BESTBY01JUN2014DEN, BESTBY23JUN2014DEN, and BESTBY23SEP2014DEN.  

The bully sticks are made in Denver, a company official told NBC News.

Salmonella can sicken animals that eat the products and can infect humans who handle the treats. However, no illnesses linked to the products have been reported in pets or humans, company officials said.  

Pets with salmonella infections can be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will experience decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected pets, even if they appear healthy, can transmit the bacteria to other animals and people.

In people, salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Most victims recover without treatment. Some, however, may become ill enough to require hospitalization.

Consumers are urged to return the Boots & Barkley products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Bully sticks and so-called “pizzle sticks” are among popular pet products made from bull penises.

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