Stewart Parnell, the owner of Peanut Corp. of America, could have prevented the massive salmonella outbreak that has killed nine people and caused more than 600 others to become very ill. But instead, he just ignored the problem and conducted business as usual.
Internal company emails disclosed this week at the House hearing on the salmonella crisis revealed that Parnell knew his peanut products were contaminated with salmonella. Despite this knowledge, he ordered his plant managers to ship the contaminated product to manufacturers of cookies, ice cream and crackers.
Parnell’s rationale for such egregious action was strictly driven by money. Had he been responsible and pulled the contaminated product, his company would have lost a huge amount of money. Apparently, profits are more important to Parnell than lives.
It seems that lab tests have detected the presence of salmonella in Peanut Corp. of America’s products since 2006. While most ethical and responsible manufacturers would have initiated a product recall, Parnell’s response was, “Turn them loose.”
The actions of Stewart Parnell are despicable. As consumers, we trust that the manufacturers of the food products we eat will be responsible and adhere to the highest levels of safety standards. When they violate our trust by knowingly releasing contaminated products that can cause us great harm, they must be held accountable for their actions.
Parnell is most likely looking at several hefty wrongful death lawsuits for his negligent and criminal actions. Hopefully, that will be the least of his concerns. He truly deserves to land in jail for his reprehensible actions.
This tragedy has affected hundreds of people across the country. If you have suffered an illness from consuming a contaminated peanut butter product, you must contact an experienced defective product attorney immediately to ensure that your rights are defended.
If you have a defective product or wrongful death claim in the Washington, D.C. area, please contact the Law Offices of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel P.C. today to schedule a consultation.
