Indictments Linked to 2009 Salmonella Outbreak

According to the New York Times four new workers at a peanut manufacturing plant have been linked to the 09 salmonella outbreak and are being charged with plotting to produce, then release to the public salmonella tainted peanuts.  In 2009 the outbreak killed nine and sickened hundreds, which sparked one of the largest product recall in the nations history.  These four individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Georgia, which is an extremely rare move when it comes to food related products.  Peanut Corporation of America owner Stewart Parnell, brother Michael Parnell, Georgia plant manager Samuel Lightsey, and quality assurance manager Mary Wilkerson all face a combined 76 count indictment in a federal court in Georgia.  Charges range from introduction of adulterated and misbranded food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead to conspiracy, which alone holds a maximum of 20 years in prison.   Tainted food cases in court are becoming more widespread as companies expand to more locations.  This case is rare because criminal cases are rare in food outbreaks because they are hard to prove and even harder to get a confession out of the guilty parties acknowledging their mistakes.  New York Times Article