Ninth death confirmed in salmonella outbreak, PCA owner takes Fifth before Congress

The Food and Drug Administration confirmed a ninth death in the nationwide peanut butter salmonella outbreak as family members of some of the eight other victims testified on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, family members of victims of the peanut butter salmonella outbreak linked exclusively to Peanut Corporation of America testified and demanded action from Congress against the negligent company.

A ninth death was confirmed Wednesday, too, in the ongoing outbreak which dates back to September 2008 and includes nearly 2,000 recalled products with peanut butter.

PCA owner Stewart Parnell was hauled before Congress to explain his company’s rampant negligence in the outbreak. Nearly every single one of the products his company produced since Jan. 1, 2007, has been recalled. One lawmaker badgered Parnell, holding up a clear plastic jar filled with PCA products. The jar was wrapped in Caution tape, and he asked Parnell if he would eat any of the products.

Investigations revealed that PCA knowingly sold products it knew were contaminated with salmonella, and at least five strains of salmonella have been found at a Blakely, Ga., facility at the heart of the outbreak.

Parnell invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to answer the questions, for fear of incriminating himself.

Aside from the deaths, at least 600 people have gotten sick from eating a peanut butter snack product since September. It is believed thousands more have gotten sick but did not report the symptoms.

Further lab tests have shown that salmonella was found at the Blakely, Ga., facility as far back as 2006, and that salmonella was also found at a PCA plant in Plainview, Texas.