FDA Shuts Down Largest Organic Peanut Butter Factory in America

JG Vibes

In the past few years organic food has become a very serious priority for many Americans, much to the dismay of big agriculture industry forces.

One of the primary unspoken functions of the FDA is to prevent this kind of competition from threatening the entrenched companies who have special interest privileges through government relationships.

Since Monsanto dominates the food market worldwide and have many representatives appointed to high places in government this company is the main special interest in Washington when it comes to the food industry.

The most obvious example of this collusion is Michael Taylor, who currently runs the FDA and is actually the former vice president of Monsanto.

The mission statement of this company is to monopolize the food chain and eradicate organic food altogether, so it is not an exaggeration to say that they will use their power in Washington to stomp out their competition, especially with the FDA.

This shutdown of an organic peanut butter factory is just the most recent case of the FDA going after local farms and organic food.

According to mainstream reports this shutdown is related to a string of salmonella infections that were allegedly tied to the peanut butter.  However, even if this is true, an FDA shutdown of this nature is on a very slippery slope, granting the agency even more power over the food market than ever before.

The peanut butter factory even voluntarily shut down after infections were reported, with hopes of reopening under stricter conditions and closer attention paid to this specific problem.  Despite these efforts of retribution, their license to operate was still suspended.

The associated press reported that:

“The food safety law gave the FDA authority to suspend a company’s registration when food manufactured or held there has a “reasonable probability” of causing serious health problems or death. Before the food safety law was enacted early last year, the FDA would have had to go to court to suspend a company’s registration.

Sunland had planned to reopen its peanut processing facility on Tuesday and a spokeswoman said before the FDA’s announcement Monday that the company hoped to be selling peanut butter again by the end of the year. The spokeswoman didn’t have immediate comment on the suspension.

The company now has the right to a hearing and must prove to the agency that its facilities are clean enough to reopen.

Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods, said the FDA’s ability to suspend a registration like this one is a major step forward for the agency.”

There is definitely a need to ensure the safety of our food, but a government agency is not the solution.  As a result of public ostracism, this company was ready to restructure their whole factory anyway, on their own, but the FDA picked an easy target and took the opportunity to exercise their new powers anyway.

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J.G. Vibes is the author of an 87 chapter counter culture textbook called Alchemy of the Modern Renaissance, a staff writer and reporter for The Intel Hub and host of a show called Voluntary Hippie Radio. 

You can keep up with his work, which includes free podcasts, free e-books & free audiobooks at his website www.aotmr.com