Peanut Plant Closes
A second peanut plant (this one in Texas) run by the Peanut Corporation of America has just shut down operations as a result of government pressure over the salmonella scare.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today that the number of cases linked to the current peanut product outbreak has reached 600, and said that as many as eight people may have died as a result.
At the same time, sales of jars of peanut butter- which are not affected in this recall - have slid 22% in four weeks. As I mentioned on Sunday in my Stopping Spreading Fear… post, food producers - in the face of consumer hysteria - are relegated to buying print and PPC ads to fight the hype and hyperbole that have surrounded the lack of information in this case. They just aren’t ready to move fast enough - this time.
I can only take heart in the hope that this (lack of) response to a major food / health issue will never happen again. With government coordination, and soon-to-come business participation, we’ll have the facts (FACTS! Not conjecture… or silence…) available as they unfold next time.
The systems are available. People are using them. Businesses and the associations who represent them are just going to have to get them implemented NOW, in preparation for next time.
Sign me up for some of that.
As a Business Antrhopologist, I see the omisssion you’re pointing to as part of a leadership vaccuum we’ve been suffering for some time.
The good news is that even the slow-moving are getting the message that “same old, same old…” is not going to make it. New leaders will come through this mess - the peanut butter paste and the downturn - like our new President, who understand that talking to people - by every available means - is what it takes.
I hope you’re right, Marsha. I see that the President of Peanut Corp is heading up to Washington today to talk about his company’s behavior and be held accountable.
In an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (http://smub.it/jlj/peanutcorpcrap) emails were highlighted that proved he knowingly let bad peanut products out the door. I have no idea why people think they can get away with (in this case) murder for profits.
I sincerely hope business leaders in all sorts of markets are watching and listening carefully. And if they’re not ready to make changes, perhaps they’ll step down and let the vacuum fill with those who are willing to make changes happen.
Hi Janet,
You asked on my blog http://www.bestwork.biz/blog, “How do we get brain juices flowing in a time of fear?”
There are two powerful ways to go beyond Flight, Fight, or Freeze:
1) Our brains are wired via 350,000 generations of community cooperation - looking out for one another.
Leaders can provide an antidote to fear by putting peoples’ attention on their neighbors’ vulnerability. They’ll respond with ingenuity - like people do in a hurricane
2) The brain likes questions. The right question will get peoples’ juices flowing.
What question do you want leaders to be asking? Put it out there - you may be surprised at how clever people become in response to a juicy question.