Peanut Outlook: Impacts of the 2008-09 Foodborne Illness Outbreak Linked to Salmonella in Peanuts

Between January and April 2009, a foodborne illness outbreak linked to Salmonella resulted in one of the largest food safety recalls ever in the United States. The source of the outbreak was linked to one peanut processor handling less than 2 percent of the U.S. peanut supply, but the scope of the recalls was magnified because the processed peanut products were used as ingredients in more than 3,900 products. Although consumer purchases of peanut-containing products initially slowed as the scope of the recalls spread, retail purchases returned to normal within several months and the total volume of peanuts processed during the 2008/09 (August-July) marketing year increased slightly from that of the previous year. These developments suggest that the recalls will not have a lasting impact on peanut demand and production.