ConAgra Foods has agreed to pay US$11.2m to settle a case linked to a salmonella outbreak in 2007.
Under the terms of a Plea Agreement with the government, ConAgra will agree to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor violation of The Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act. If the plea is accepted by a US court in Georgia, the government’s investigation into the recall will conclude and ConAgra will pay the fine.
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The outbreak, which sickened over 600 people, was traced back to a ConAgra plant in Sylvester in Georgia where the company made peanut butter under brands including Peter Pan.
ConAgra said it took "significant steps to improve the facility where Peter Pan was made, using new knowledge about the potential for salmonella in peanut butter".
Dr. Al Bolles, chief technical and operations officer for ConAgra, said: "We did not, and never will, knowingly ship a product that is not safe for consumers. We’ve invested heavily in leading-edge food safety technology and practices over the past eight years, and we are thankful for all of the people who recognise that and are loyal Peter Pan fans.
"ConAgra Foods took full responsibility in 2007, taking immediate steps to determine the potential causes of and solutions for the problem and acting quickly and definitively to inform and protect consumers. This incident brought to light previously unknown aspects of making safe peanut butter, and we have been passionate about sharing what we learned to help others join us in creating an even safer food supply."
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