FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Salmonella Strain in Peanut Butter to Be Eliminated
Lynchburg, VA, - January 13th, 2009 – On January 10th, 2009, a container of peanut butter in a Minnesota long-term care facility produced by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) was found to contain a strain of salmonella. PCA today announced the voluntary recall of its suspected peanut butter products.
PCA is a family owned and operated peanut processing business started in 1976 and is based in Lynchburg, VA. The company produces peanut butter for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies made in its facilities in Blakely, GA, Suffolk, VA and Plainview, TX.
The contaminated peanut butter was produced at the company’s Georgia facilities. To prevent any potential harm to consumers, PCA has now initiated a voluntary recall of all products produced in Georgia, on or after July 1st, 2008.
Owner and president of PCA, Evan Hardy, stated that, “Peanut Corporation of America’s top priority is the safety of consumers. This being said, we are sincerely apologetic for any harm that has ensued as a result of our error. We are contacting our customers, voluntarily withdrawing our products, and implementing protocol to ensure future preventions not reactions.”
Fortunately none of the peanut butter being recalled is sold directly to consumers through retail stores. Rather, twenty one lots of peanut butter, in containers ranging from five to fifty pounds, are being immediately collected from customers to avoid the spread of salmonella.
Salmonella can result in abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and fever. Symptoms usually develop in 12 to 72 hours and can last 4 to 7 days. Most recover without treatment, but not all cases are the same.
PCA is working hand in hand with the Food and Drug Administration as well as the Centers for Disease Control in the investigation of the contamination. “Peanut Corporation of America is dedicated to its loyal customers and is currently taking steps to guarantee this instance is merely a minor setback and a significant lesson learned,” said Hardy.
Customers and consumers are being asked to contact 1-877-564-7080, a toll-free, 24-hour hotline, with any questions or concerns.
Contact:
Peanut Corporation of America
Lynchburg, VA
1-877-564-7080
Team SSS Response
1. The only formatting issue we found was the lack of ###s at the end.
2. None of the commonly made mistakes were made.
3. Recall on Peanutbutter Will Elminate Salmonella
4. Due to the recent salmonella found in PCA distributed peanutbutter in Minnesota, PCA has issued a recall alert for all consumers.
5. The press release does a good job of providing the facts in a manner that a journalist could use effectively. They are explicitly and objectively presented so one can gather the neccesary information quickly and accurately. Thinking about how people will relate to this could be important in going forward and regaining the trust of the public.
ACORN Group
1. Put the ### at the end.
2. Didnt find any mistakes.
3. The Peanut Butter Corporation of America Takes Strides in Eliminating Salmonella from its Products
4. Peanut Butter Corporation of America announced the voluntary recall of its suspected peanut butter products.
5. Started strong but could have used real life examples.
Firestone repsonse to King Nut
Format good, just a little lengthy.
Grammar: twenty-one is hyphenated.
Headline: Salmonella Strain Found in King Nut Peanut Butter
1st sentence: Date is redundant, sort of. Only three days separate release from event.
What they did well: the first sentence is good; started sentences well; description is adequate.
Could have been better: more truncated might be better; leave the media more to do; it reads like a full media article already.
Faulkourberries Response
1. The format was good, we don't really see where improvement is needed.
2. One problem is the release does have the "buy me complex". It elaborates heavily on the strand being taken out so that their product is safe to consume again. This sort of makes the process seem rushed like the company is more interested in being able to sell their product again, as opposed to making sure their customers are healthy.
3. Company working to ensure that Salmonella strain doesn't reach consumer.
4. Peanut Corporation of America is offically annoucing a voluntary recall of certain products due to the detection of a strain of Salmonella within said products.
5. Economics of words. Use only enough words to tell your story. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives, flowery language, or redundant expressions such as "added bonus" or "first time ever". If you can tell your story with fewer words, do it. Wordiness distracts from your story. Keep it concise. Make each word count.
You did a good job of sticking to the facts and issues without adding unnecessary "fluff."
Provide as much Contact information as possible: Individual to Contact, address, phone, fax, email, Web site address.
You could probably use a litle more contact info. Email address, specific person to contact, hours to call, etc.
TEAM EVAN
1. Include ### to indicate the end of the press release.
2. Maybe cut down on the CEO quote to make the press release rely information not sell an idea.
3. Salmonella strand leads to recall.
4. PCA announced voluntary recall of peanut butter produced on or after July 1, 2008.
5. Expand upon contact info with whom to talk to, and an email address.
re: TEAM EVAN: Press Release
This is a good draft. The second paragraph is out of place, however. Notice that the story starts in the first paragraph and then continues in the third. The second paragraph breaks up the narrative. The information in that paragraph would probably fit better at the end of the document.