PCA Closes Texas Plant

PLAINVIEW, TexasPeanut Corporation of America (PCA) voluntarily closed its Plainview plant last night after laboratory tests of sample products from the plant indicated the possible presence of Salmonella in some products. PCA notified the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) of the findings on Monday.

DSHS officials said it does not appear that any of the implicated productspeanut meal, granulated peanuts and dry roasted peanutshave reached consumers.

The testing was done by a private lab under contract with PCA.

The peanut meal and granulated peanuts had not been shipped out of the Plainview facility. The dry roasted peanuts had been shipped to a distributor but were detained and recalled before further distribution.

It is not yet known if the Salmonella possibly found in the product testing is the same strain of the bacterium implicated in a 43-state outbreak of salmonellosis.

DSHS is developing specific criteria the company must meet before it can resume production and is not aware of any illnesses associated with products from the Plainview facility.

The plant was closed at the request of DSHS.