Conditions in the Georgia Peanut Factory
Check out the video here. Share your thoughts on this situation. Has it changed the way you eat? Do you worry when you eat peanut-based products?
posted by Mr. Carlisle at 7:27 AM
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
About Me
- Name: Mr. Carlisle
- Location: Portland, Oregon, United States
I'm a native South Carolinian and I attained my undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of South Carolina. I taught fourth grade for two years in the Mississippi Delta and two years at an alternative high school in Western North Carolina. I have been at Tigard High School since the fall of 2003, where I teach U.S. History and Psychology.
Previous Posts
- Adv. US History
- Mar. 17
- Top Secret Video from the Tigerettes Training Comp...
- Adv. US History
- Coming Attractions
- Lewis Hine-Muckraking Photographer
- Mar. 12
- Congressional Academy
- Adv. US History
- Mar. 10
16 Comments:
Wow this reminds me of "The Jungle".
4:10 PM
I found the interview with the worker a little skeptical. If he knew there were rats and dirty mops, etc., why didn't he say something in the first place! I mean I know thar there are motivations as to why he would refain from telling such as money. But still I would feel pretty guilty if I was him. The FDA Commissioner's interview was ok. He had decent things to say. But over all I want to know more. For example, with the inspection passing a few months prior and the acusations of the worker completely contradict each other. Obviously there were some problems with it other wise they wouldn't be an issue. I think the problem lies in the inspection.
4:23 PM
I read Fast Food Nation so I already knew that as Americans we eat a lot of food that is not what it seems, but this is horrible. It's terrible that people knew about it and they didn't do anything stop it.
Also as a consumer it's one thing to look at something, realize it's rotten, and choose not eat it. It's even worse when you have no idea that rat poop is in your peanut butter from the grocery store.
4:36 PM
I knew that the FDA had certain guidelines for the maximum allowable contamination in the food, but this factory went far beyond what is acceptable even by standards set by common sense. How long did the factory manager think that they could get away with it?
Also, I think that the FDA should have more authority in these situations. The fact that they cannot inspect a factory without permission is ridiculous.
4:56 PM
Erika- I believe that he did the right thing because the reporter on the story said that others who had worked there refused to say that there were unhealthy/unsatisfactory conditions even though the investigators proved that specific workers testimony as true. Know why he waited as long as he did, that baffles me. In that respect I agree with what you said.
I think that the manager/owner of the plant is to blame and should be charged with 8 counts of negligent homicide and 500 counts of assault (for those who did become sick). This should be enough to land him a nice little jail cell that he gets to share with Big Bubba. Haha.
This story made me think a little bit about the peanut butter sandwich that I had had earlier on the day that this story first came out on the news, but I didn't get sick so whatever.
I think that the we need to adopt better protocols on food inspections or simply hire more food inspectors so that this job of making sure our food is safe isn't an overwhelming undertaking. I mean, seriously, in a modernized country such as ours we should at least be able to eat our food without having to worry about getting really sick or dying.
And I agree with AC except for the fact that it would, by technicality, be unconstitutional to inspect this factory without permission. However much I like human life, the Constitution needs to be preserved in almost all cases.
6:44 PM
Erik,
Great comment my friend.
6:47 PM
Carlisle- are health inspections at random time or do the companies know when they are happening? If they know when they are going to be checked the system is really easy to get around. You just have to fix it up before the inspection and you can do what ever untill the next inspection.
7:22 PM
Actually I don't even think about the peanut butter base products I eat. Just a couple of weeks ago, Deanna had a bag of peanut butter M&Ms in math, and a whole bunch of people ate some and also, my family somehow said they had "safe" peanut butter to eat which I really think about if it was or not since I'm not sick!
And as long as I dont think about what I eat, then it's all good. Except for today, when I was grossed out in your class.
7:35 PM
That was really gross and I don't get how someone could let this peanut butter be sold. At first when I watched that video it was a commercial about energy bars and I didn't know that the actual video came later and I was confused but I got it after I watched it again. I got grossed out today in class but I ate a peanut butter sandwich today anyways I just didn't think about it.
Have you been eating peanut butter since you heard about this Carlisle?
7:54 PM
Tracy,
I haven't really changed my eating habits. I don't eat a lot of peanut butter and we don't even have any in the house. Peanut M&Ms are fine. So is peanut butter actually. They are not part of the recall.
7:58 PM
I agree with what Tiffany said about eating habits. I never think about my food, and it never crossed my mind that there would be bad stuff in our food that we can't see or taste...unitl today in class. Even now that I know about it though, I won't change my eating habits or worry about how many insect legs I'm consuming. I figure the less I know, the better. And I haven't gotten sick yet or died, so what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
8:13 PM
This won't change the way I eat at all being that I'm not a big peanut butter fan. All the peanut-products that were contaminated were taken off shelves by now so I'm not worried. However, it does disturb me how crappy of a job our government does at regulating food factories such as this one. It makes me wonder what kind of terrible conditions all the other factory-made food I eat is made in, which is somewhat terrifying.
8:33 PM
everyone always trys to look there best in front of any judge;people clean there houses before inviting over guests. this recall problem is exactly the same. the way inspections are done now the real problems will never be seen so long as the company manager/owner has the preperation to hide them. i think that health inspections should be done like our history quizes - without warning. If the company is being run well then there should be no worry just like if a student has read there should be no worry.
another point that could be made is that these companies are entrusted with our lives and if inocent of crime would not be in any trouble but if guilty they do not deserve the right of privacy after taking the right to life and health of others.
9:12 PM
OK first of all i hate all types of bugs/insects or whatever. Roaches being mixed in when the tools are being washed? Rats being roasted with peanuts? How is this possible? Like how you talked today in class even, about how much of like the eggs are okay in things. Why is that even okay even for a small amount? Can't they make it so that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BAD gets in what we eat/drink. Hearing this does not make me change my food preferences, but when i do eat, i look at my food and visualize all the disturbing things that appear on my food. AND I AM NOT TRYING TO VISUALIZE ON PURPOSE. By the way, when they interviewed the worker (Jonathon Praiser) was that a dead dog they were showing next to his like trailer house or whatever it was?!
9:43 PM
I agree with Erica and Erik. I believe the interviewer was skepitcal when he answered almost to a point where I wasn't completely convinced.
It said that he came forth about this information because his mother raised him to tell the truth however it was too little too late and the problems already occured, preventing nothing. I agree with the question Erica raises "why didn't he say something in the first place!"
However, agreeing with Erik, the interviewer did come out with the evidence when others did not. I agree that he eventually did do the right thing which we should applaud, but it's the timing of the information that I don't understand.
11:22 PM
I remember when the 100th anniversary of the FDA regulations came and went two years ago. I'm still surprised about how little has changed since the progressive era. Consumer safety is hardly a partisan issue anymore, yet nothing gets done.
11:51 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home