Salmonella has crept its way into too many foods this summer—from stuffed chicken and sushi to cashews and even black pepper. It became so prevalent this year alone that we nearly reached the point of not knowing what was really, truly safe to eat. But back in 2008 and 2009, there was an even more massive salmonella outbreak traced back to peanuts. As a result of this year-long health issue, consumers got more scared than ever before. And retailers responded, pulling peanut butter from shelves and promoting peanut-butter alternatives left and right. It remains one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) later linked the outbreak to nine deaths and more than 700 illnesses. 

Now federal court officials are issuing a life-in-prison sentence (at least 28 years) to former Peanut Corporation of America owner, Stewart Parnell, who knowingly sold nuts that made many people seriously sick. The jury convicted Parnell on 71 counts including conspiracy, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, selling adulterated food, and other crimes relating to the outbreak. Two of Parnell's former colleagues, including his brother, Michael, and another executive were sentenced to 20 years and five years in prison, respectively—making this the harshest sentence U.S. authorities have handed down in regards to a foodborne illness outbreak.

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Wondering exactly what went down more than six years ago? After investigators found the source of the contamination—a factory in Georgia operated by the Peanut Corporation of America—NPR reports that Parnell was, at that time, fully aware that the facility was shipping salmonella-tainted peanut butter. "They knew it, and they covered it up," Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer who represented some of the victims, told NPR. 

Before and during the outbreak, the company assured customers multiple times that their products were in the clear and free of salmonella even though no tests had been run. One of the most memorable pieces of evidence from the case was an email that Parnell received, stating that the results of the salmonella tests were not yet available—to which he replied, "Just ship it."

Salmonella can be very dangerous. According to the CDC, it sickens about 1.2 million people every year and, on average, about 450 of those infected are killed from the illness. And the scariest part is that it can affect virtually any food that grows, not just undercooked meat. So the next time you read about a recall, take it seriously. And take extra precautions—even if food corporations say everything is all right.

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