ConAgra Foods, the makers of Peter Pan peanut butter have agreed to pay a $11.2 million dollar settlement due to federal charges that they shipped salmonella containing products. Furthermore, the tainted peanut butter was made at a ConAgra plant in Georgia and injured more than 600 people, which happened over eight years ago.
ConAgra also agreed to pay over $8 million in criminal fines, which is the highest ever known for the food industry. Likewise, the company will also pay an additional $3.2 million in forfeitures to the government. This latest high fine is hopefully a wake-up call to food manufacturers according to Bill Marler, representative of foodborne illnesses. Marler also reiterates that companies could also face criminal fines and jail time due to food related illnesses. In the ConAgra case, no company executives were charged.
In 2007, 625 people in 47 states were sickened due to the salmonella laced peanut butter made by ConAgra Foods. Since then, all of the peanut butter manufactured since 2004 was recalled as a precaution. Thus, the Georgia plant has since then tested positive for salmonella, twice.
If you or a loved one were sickened by food that caused illness or injury, the skilled St. Louis personal injury attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth would like to hear from you. We can help you recover from your traumatic experience. Please contact us today regarding your potential consumer safety or product liability case.