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from the cant-make-profit-so-no-one-gets-benefit dept.
Papas Fritas writes:
The Christian Science Monitor reports that Costco will dump almost one million jars of peanut butter into a New Mexico landfill and bulldoze over them after retailer Costco refused to take shipment of the peanut butter and declined requests to let it be donated to food banks or repackaged or sold to brokers who provide food to institutions like prisons. The peanut butter comes from a bankrupt peanut-processing plant that was at the heart of a salmonella outbreak in 2012 and although "all parties agreed there's nothing wrong with the peanut butter from a health and safety issue," court records show that on a 19 March conference call Costco said "it would not agree to any disposition ... other than destruction."
Despite the peanut butter being safe, Curry County landfill employee Tim Stacy says that no one will be able to consume the peanut butter once it's dumped because it was immediately rolled over with a bulldozer, destroying the supply. Stacy added more trash will then be dumped on top of the pile. Sonya Warwick, spokeswoman for New Mexico's largest food bank, declined to comment directly on the situation, but she noted that rescued food accounted for 74% of what Roadrunner Food Bank distributed across New Mexico last year. "Access to rescued food allows us to provide a more well-rounded and balanced meal to New Mexicans experiencing hunger." No word yet on where anyone was going to find a million jars of jelly.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by song-of-the-pogo on Monday March 31 2014, @04:37PM
As a lover of peanut butter and a Costco "member", this is disappointing news and I find myself wondering about the motivation. I'm guessing that it's a matter of corporate CYA, hedging some bad publicity now is better than the risk of having something turn up wrong with the peanut butter down the road and then having to deal with a "Costco knowingly foisted peanut butter from a tainted plant on poor people and now 7 have died" and the undoubtedly ensuing lawsuits. If my fantasy-imaginings are anything close to what actually happened, though, I feel like they could've/might've/should've tried a little harder to come up with a better solution.
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Monday March 31 2014, @06:06PM
From reading the peanut butter was no where near safe enough to distribute. Too many questions about the facility which had problems and has been shut down since 2012.
As another poster pointed out that means the peanut butter is at least two years old. Combine that with questions about the seals on the jars.
The only safe decision here was destruction and to not let the peanut butter be consumed by humans. If anyone is at fault for the waste it would be that original facility for producing so much product not safe for consumption.
Remember, this is the corporation that plays a huge efficiency game in selling great hot dogs at $1.50 (?) and not letting the price go up. I think they are already conscious about the environment, waste, and donating to shelters.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2, Informative) by song-of-the-pogo on Monday March 31 2014, @07:37PM
You're correct. Further reading indicates that Costco is making the correct decision here.
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday March 31 2014, @09:47PM
Then again, 25 tons is bugger all, in the grand scheme of things.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 02 2014, @05:26AM
Some electrical generation facilities mix in garbage with what they normally burn.
I image this stuff wouldn't do any worse than that other stuff.
I really hate wastefulness.
-- gewg_