Media Center

Rep. David Scott (D-GA) issued the following statement regarding the national salmonella outbreak and recall of peanut butter products:

"I am gravely concerned about the ever-widening outbreak of salmonella related to peanut butter and peanut butter products processed by the PCA facility in Blakely. With almost five hundred reported illnesses and several deaths already, it is imperative that our first order of business be to identify any and all contaminated products and remove them from the shelves so that consumers are no longer at risk.

Secondly, the FDA, CDC and relevant state agencies must thoroughly investigate the causes of this outbreak so that future occurrences can be prevented. The FDA has received criticism in the past for its handling of such situations. As a Member of Congress serving on the Agriculture Committee, I take these allegations very seriously and will take a hard look at the structure and funding of the FDA and other food safety agencies, to ensure that they may properly do their jobs.

Lastly, I would say that the peanut industry remains a vital segment of Georgia's agricultural economy. It is imperative that this investigation conclude as quickly as possible, and any prescribed remedies put into place, so that consumer confidence is restored and permanent damage is not done to the industry. We have already seen lay-offs at the plant in Blakely, and in these tough economic times we desperately need to prevent those lay-offs from worsening."