Peanut Giant Closes Second Plant

ATLANTA (AP) - The company at the center of an investigation
into a deadly national salmonella outbreak has suspended operations
at a second peanut processing plant.
Peanut Corporation of America said in a statement Tuesday it is
voluntarily suspending operations at its Plainview, Texas, plant
while state and federal health officials complete an investigation
into procedures and food safety records there.
Peanut Corp. already closed a Georgia plant identified as the
source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 600 people in 44
states and may have contributed to eight deaths.
An Associated Press investigation last week revealed that the
Texas plant operated for years uninspected and unlicensed by state
health officials.

ATLANTA (AP) - Health officials in Texas say lab tests show
there may have been salmonella at a shuttered Texas plant operated
by the peanut company linked to a national outbreak.
Texas health officials say the Peanut Corp. of America
temporarily closed its plant in Plainview, Texas, after private
test results found "the possible presence of salmonella" in some
of its products.
Texas health officials said it does not appear that any of the
possibly contamintated products reached consumers. The Texas plant
produces peanut meal, granulated peanuts and dry roasted peanuts.
Peanut Corp.'s Blakely, Ga. plant is blamed for a salmonella
outbreak that has sickened 600 people and may have caused at least
eight deaths.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)