Texas Peanut Plant Shows Possible Salmonella

ATLANTA (AP) _ Texas health officials say private lab tests show there may have been salmonella at a Texas peanut plant that was closed.

The Plainview plant is operated by the Peanut Corp. of America. It’s being investigated in connection with a salmonella outbreak that’s sickened 600 people nationwide and may have caused at least eight deaths. It’s also led to the recall of more than 1,800 consumer products.

The company’s Georgia plant was closed last month after federal investigators identified that facility as a the source of the outbreak.

Officials say no recalls related to the Texas products were yet planned because it doesn’t appear they made it to consumers. That plant produces peanut meal, granulated peanuts and dry roasted peanuts.

An Associated Press investigation revealed that the Plainview plant had been operating uninspected and unlicensed by state health officials until after federal health officials began investigating the company last month.