Peanut company owner refuses to testify

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE, Associated Press
Writers Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar And Brett J. Blackledge, Associated
Press Writers 5 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The owner of a peanut company refused to testify to
Congress on Wednesday amid the disclosure that he urged his workers to
ship bacteria-tainted products, pleading with employees to at least
"turn the raw peanuts on the floor into money."

Stewart Parnell, owner of Peanut Corp. of America, repeatedly invoked
his right not to incriminate himself after sitting before the House
subcommittee holding a hearing on a national salmonella outbreak blamed
on his company.

He sat stiffly, his hands folded in his lap at the witness table, as one
lawmaker held up a clear jar of his company's products wrapped in crime
scene tape and asked him if he would be willing to eat the food.

"Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on advice of my counsel, I
respectively decline to answer your questions based on the protections
afforded me under the U.S. Constitution," Parnell said in response.
After repeating the statement several times, he was dismissed from the
hearing.

The House panel released e-mails obtained by its investigators showing
Parnell ordered products identified with salmonella shipped and quoting
his complaints that tests discovering the contaminated food were
"costing us huge $$$$$$."

At one point, Parnell said his workers "desperately at least need to
turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money." In another exchange, he
told his plant manager to "turn them loose" after products once deemed
contaminated were cleared in a second test.

Parnell's response to a final lab test showing salmonella was about how
much it would cost, and the impact lab testing was having on moving his
products.

"We need to discuss this," he wrote in an Oct. 6 e-mail to Sammy
Lightsey, his plant manager. "The time lapse, beside the cost is costing
us huge $$$$$$ and causing obviously a huge lapse in time from the time
we pick up peanuts until the time we can invoice."

Lightsey also invoked his right not to testify when he appeared
alongside Parnell before the subcommittee.

The disclosures came in correspondence released by a House Energy and
Commerce subcommittee Wednesday during a hearing on the salmonella
outbreak that has sickened 600 people, may be linked to eight deaths and
has led to one of the largest recalls in history with more than 1,800
products pulled.

"Their behavior is criminal, in my opinion. I want to see jail time,"
said Jeffrey Almer, whose 72-year-old mother died Dec. 21 in Minnesota
of salmonella poisoning after eating Peanut Corp.'s peanut butter. Almer
and other relatives of victims urged lawmakers to approve mandatory
product recalls and improve public notice about contaminated food.

A federal criminal investigation is under way.

"We appear to have a total systemic breakdown," said Rep. Bart Stupak,
D-Mich., chairman of the committee's investigations subcommittee.

After peanut granules made in Georgia were connected to the Salmonella
outbreak, Parnell tried to salvage whatever he could from the plant,
looking for loopholes in what the government said they could use.

In a Jan. 19 e-mail about a truck with more than 33,000 pounds of raw
peanuts, Parnell noted that Georgia agriculture officials are "putting a
hold on everything else in the plant" beside what was on the truck.

"Obviously we are not shipping any peanut butter products affected by
the recall but desperately at least need to turn the raw peanuts on our
floor into money," he wrote. "We have other raw peanuts on our floor
that we would like to do the same with."

In another exchange, Parnell complained to a worker after they notified
him salmonella was discovered in more products.

"I go thru this about once a week," he wrote in a June 2008 e-mail. "I
will hold my breath .......... again."

A laboratory owner told the House panel that the peanut company's
disregard for tests identifying salmonella in its product is "virtually
unheard of" in the nation's food industry and should prompt efforts to
increase federal oversight of product safety.

Charles Deibel, president of Deibel Laboratories Inc., said his company
was among those that tested Peanut Corp. of America's products and
notified the Georgia plant that salmonella was found in some of its
peanut stock. Peanut Corp. sold the products anyway, according to a Food
and Drug Administration inspection report.

"It is not unusual for Deibel Labs or other food testing laboratories to
find that samples clients submit do test positive for salmonella and
other pathogens, nor is it unusual that clients request that samples be
retested," Deibel said. "What is virtually unheard of is for an entity
to disregard those results and place potentially contaminated products
into the stream of commerce."

Deibel said he hopes the crisis leads to a greater role for FDA in
overseeing food safety and providing more guidance to food makers.

The company, now under FBI investigation, makes only about 1 percent of
U.S. peanut products. But its ingredients are used by dozens of other
food companies.

___



These corporate execs need to do some *serious* at a federal heavy
security penitentiary after they are found guilty.

On Feb 11, 1:07*pm, HK wrote:

These corporate execs need to do some *serious* at a federal heavy
security penitentiary after they are found guilty.


Wow, such great prose from the greatest writer ever. The cut and paste
was fine, but as soon as you tried to complete a sentence yourself,
you fell flat.

"Peanut Company Owner Takes the Fifth..."

Hmmm, I've known some people who could drink that much in one sitting
too!

Of course that's about all they did.

They didn't live to be very old, either.

On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:58:26 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

"Peanut Company Owner Takes the Fifth..."

Hmmm, I've known some people who could drink that much in one sitting
too!

Of course that's about all they did.

They didn't live to be very old, either.

Speaking of booze, have you tried the latest new drink?

It's called the 'Sully' and consists of two shots of Grey Goose and a
dash of water!

"HK" wrote in message
...

"It is not unusual for Deibel Labs or other food testing laboratories to
find that samples clients submit do test positive for salmonella and other
pathogens, nor is it unusual that clients request that samples be
retested," Deibel said. "What is virtually unheard of is for an entity to
disregard those results and place potentially contaminated products into
the stream of commerce."




These corporate execs need to do some *serious* at a federal heavy
security penitentiary after they are found guilty.

If it is as it certainly appears, I agree with you 100%.

On Feb 11, 1:35*pm, John H wrote:
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:58:26 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

"Peanut Company Owner Takes the Fifth..."

Hmmm, I've known some people who could drink that much in one sitting
too!

Of course that's about all they did.

They didn't live to be very old, either.

Speaking of booze, have you tried the latest new drink?

It's called the 'Sully' and consists of two shots of Grey Goose and a
dash of water!

LOL!

On Feb 11, 1:45*pm, "Eisboch" wrote:


If it is as it certainly appears, I agree with you 100%.

Agreed with your comment of "If it is as it certainly appears"

Then, there's the flip side to come out in the courts.

Tim wrote:
On Feb 11, 1:45 pm, "Eisboch" wrote:

If it is as it certainly appears, I agree with you 100%.

Agreed with your comment of "If it is as it certainly appears"

Then, there's the flip side to come out in the courts.



It'll be interesting to hear the reasons why the execs released the
tainted product into the supply chain. I mean the reasons other than
the ones already stated.

On Feb 11, 2:17*pm, HK wrote:
Tim wrote:
On Feb 11, 1:45 pm, "Eisboch" wrote:

If it is as it certainly appears, I agree with you 100%.

Agreed with your comment of "If it is as it certainly appears"

Then, there's the flip side to come out in the courts.

It'll be interesting to hear the reasons why the execs released the
tainted product into the supply chain. *I mean the reasons other than
the ones already stated.

Very true!

i wonder who in the labs got paid off to enable it to be released? Or
were the labs bypassed without clearance?

I suppose w'll have to wait and find out...

Regardless, from the presently known reports, it sounds like some real
skullduggery goin on, though.

Tim wrote:
On Feb 11, 2:17 pm, HK wrote:
Tim wrote:
On Feb 11, 1:45 pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
If it is as it certainly appears, I agree with you 100%.
Agreed with your comment of "If it is as it certainly appears"
Then, there's the flip side to come out in the courts.
It'll be interesting to hear the reasons why the execs released the
tainted product into the supply chain. I mean the reasons other than
the ones already stated.

Very true!

i wonder who in the labs got paid off to enable it to be released? Or
were the labs bypassed without clearance?

I suppose w'll have to wait and find out...

Regardless, from the presently known reports, it sounds like some real
skullduggery goin on, though.


Well, I oppose capital punishment, but I might make an exception for
senior corporate execs who knowingly release tainted food... :) That's
what happens in China.