The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s Craig Schneider reports that, because of the long shelf-life of peanut products and the difficulty and complexity of recalling all products made with tainted peanut butter, Peanut Corp. of America’s salmonella outbreak could be sickening consumers for two more years.
The process of identifying those products and ensuring their removal has been complicated and confusing, said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of food safety at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“We’re really concerned. This is not over yet,” Sundlof said. He said the outbreak could last as long as products are around, possibly as long as two years.
That’s because peanut products, seemingly harmless as they linger in homes and the marketplace, can have a relatively long shelf life, officials said. Vegetables and meat, which spoil relatively quickly, must be thrown away.
