t Peanut Corporation's plant in Blakely, Georgia, federal investigators found a leaky roof, roaches and evidence of rodents at the plant, all ingredients for brewing salmonella. They also uncovered emails and records showing food confirmed by lab tests to contain salmonella was shipped to customers anyway. Other batches were never tested at all, but got shipped with fake lab records saying salmonella screenings were negative.
Three deaths linked to the outbreak occurred in Minnesota, two in Ohio, two in Virginia, one in Idaho and one in North Carolina
Mostly, they were convicted of defrauding the food processors they sold to.
OTOH, why weren't the buyers checking out the supplier's action? I sure would. If I was buying anything on a multi- million contract. I would surely take a factory tour.