“Killing Peanuts” Back In Business

Few may remember but the killing peanuts company that succeeded in killing a total number of nine people and sickened hundreds more of them, couple of years ago, is now back in business.

The company – Peanut Corp of America is bankrupt, but the former President of it, Stewart Parnell is working as a consultant to another peanut company, as at the moment there are over eighteen months since the federal government criminal investigation is following his steps.

As he was expected to testify before the Congress in February 2009, regarding what happened with the people infected with salmonella, he invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid being questioned. As the peanuts were tasted fro salmonella they turned out to have positive results and then they were cleared on a second test that was made.

Parnell is just sick and tired with all this investigation and just wishes that everything is over as soon as possible so that he will be able to move on and the feds will no longer be on his tracks: “They just say we’re still investigating,” Parnell said. “I feel like I wish they’d come on and do what they’re going to do. I’d like to get this behind me.”

In last year’s investigation the Republican Greg Walden of Oregon, brought a jar of Parnell peanuts that  he asked Mr. Parnell to eat if he could. He as well hopes that a thorough investigation will be conducted in this case. He sustains the case of the families that have lost their loved ones in this outbreak. The fact that this man may get unpunished is most certainly not a good thing for their families and will not be regarded as justice being made.

All the family members of the persons that died are waiting to see Parnell behind bars and are making everything possible to see this happen.  “My God, when are we going to hold anyone responsible?” said Jeff Almer, whose mother, Shirley Almer, was the first known death from the outbreak in Minnesota. “So far to this day, nothing’s happened to this man. I think every person in America who was affected by this, every family who lost someone, deserves to hear the truth from this guy.”

All the family members of the salmonella victims were provided with $12 million insurance settlement. There are around 100 victims that have to suffer the consequences from the salmonella provided from nuts.

As long as the FDA has not finished their criminal investigation on Parnell, there is nothing illegal about his return to the food industry.

In searching the boundaries from the Parnell’s processing plant in Barkley, they found very bad conditions that were linked to the salmonella outbreak. In this case, the President Barak Obama himself expressed concern, as his family likes eating peanut butter very much.

At the moment, as far as what Pernell is doing, he is not receiving any payment whatsoever, despite of the fact that his lawyer is saying that his client is trying to make a living out of this.

There is somehow something wrong with this case as the FDA is taking too long to get to the conclusion. As the President Obama himself was scared of what happened, in his early days of Presidency he decided that the food safety is a priority and he needs to tackle on. Therefore, he pushed a bill in this regard that has not been signed yet, but it is to be before the November elections. “The peanut outbreak serves as a harsh reminder of why food safety legislation is so vital,” Taylor said.