In early 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a nationwide recall of peanut butter from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). At that time, the recall was voluntary and was initiated after a small number of samples from unopened containers and environmental samples from the Blakely, Georgia facility tested positive for Salmonella. That voluntary recall and subsequent investigation would be the first news of what would become a deadly outbreak, attempted cover-up, and criminal trial.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Salmonella outbreak beginning in 2008 and ending in March 2009 resulted in a total of 714 cases of illness in 46 states. Nine deaths were reported and nearly one-quarter of the sick were hospitalized. Food Safety News reports that it was testing by Minnesota public health and agriculture experts that linked PCA products to the strain of the outbreak.

Charges were brought against company owner Stewart Parnell, as well as his brother Michael Parnell, who was a food broker. The Idaho State Journal explains that they are accused of shipping tainted products to customers as well as covering up tests that indicated the products contained Salmonella. Adding to the prosecutor’s case is the testimony of former plant manager Samuel Lightsey.

Lightsey had been managing the plant since July 2008. When investigators came in after the outbreak began, Lightsey lied to those investigators about positive tests for salmonella in the products and about the frequency of testing done at the plant. According to Lightsey, he thought the outbreak was limited in scope, but decided to come clean when he saw the magnitude of the impact. He has already pleaded guilty to seven criminal counts and is receiving a lighter sentence for his testimony.