Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: Opinion

Ivan Flores - THE BATTALION

Peanut butter. Mmmm. Just seeing that word makes me want to taste a spoonful of the salty, sweet, nutty concoction. So imagine my dismay when news broke out that Peter Pan peanut butter had been found infected with salmonella. Sure enough, my jar at home had the dreaded "2111" on the lid, indicating that it was produced in the factory the salmonella jars had been traced to.

After I gloomily tossed out the old jar, my quest to find more peanut butter began. What would I get? Creamy or crunchy? Natural or organic? Plain or honey roasted? Unfortunately, I didn't have much of a choice when I reached the grocery store, since all the normally stocked peanut butter shelves were barren. Apparently, drastic measures had been taken to prevent another person from becoming sick.

It seems that every few months, there is another food scare, whether it be E. coli in spinach, mad cow disease in meat or salmonella in peanut butter. However, while it may seem silly on the surface, this peanut butter scare is another reminder of the importance of careful vigilance of U.S. food quality and safety levels.

"Our food supply is the safest it has ever been," said Michael McBurney, a professor and head for the department of nutrition and food science. "We have stringent regulations establishing minimal levels of organisms or entities which should be consumed in modest amounts. Most of the recent recalls are preventative in that they are to remove foods that have exceeded minimal thresholds."

Some might say the media have sensationalized the issue. Peanut butter stories are still popping up all over the nation's radio shows, newspapers and websites, as well as around the world. In addition, several people have sued ConAgra, the maker of Peter Pan peanut butter, and the first class-action law suit against the company has been filed.

Truthfully, I see no harm in the media's effort. Yes, some people are overreacting by vowing to never eat peanut butter again, while others are scared silly by the Food and Drug Administration's inability to catch these diseases before they begin to wreak havoc on consumers. However, if it had not been for the media, I would never have learned about the sickness and death that had resulted from a product sitting on my own shelf.

"We can never put a price to the loss of life," said Elena Castell-Perez, a professor of food engineering. "If consumption of contaminated food compromises someone's immune system, or even causes death, the reaction to this tragic event is natural. Regarding the incident with the peanut butter, I am certain the industry will track down the cause and fix it quickly so it never happens again."

In the end, I am thankful that the media made such a big deal about the issue. Now, instead of salmonella, I will be enjoying my peanut butter with grape jelly, which suits me just fine.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools