FBI finds dead rodents, faeces, mould and salmonella in peanut plant

Nine people are said to be dead with another 650 suffering from sickness after recent claims against a peanut processing plant in the US that involved a major poisoning scare.

The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which is now bankrupt, is currently under investigation by the FBI.

Investigators discovered traces of salmonella in the processing plant along with mould, insects, leaking roofs, dead rodents, faeces and feathers.

Furthermore, according to a number of reports, the firm had been aware of salmonella in the plant yet had failed to take any action.

Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said that the company had violated federal law.

He said: "Foods are supposed to be produced under conditions that do not render them damaging to health.”

However, according to a personal injury lawyer working on behalf of those suffering from the poisoning, because of the bankruptcy of PCA, many of the victims of the outburst may not be compensated, leaving companies who purchased batches of peanuts to take priority over those filing a claim.