Former peanut exec gets 28 years in prison for outbreak

ALBANY, Ga. (AP) — A former peanut company executive was sentenced today to 28 years in prison for his role in a deadly salmonella outbreak, the stiffest punishment ever handed out to a producer in a foodborne illness case.

The outbreak in 2008 and 2009 was blamed for nine deaths and sickened hundreds more, and triggered one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history.

Before he was sentenced, Stewart Parnell, former Peanut Corporation of America, listened as nine victims testified about the terror and grief caused by tainted peanut butter traced to the company's plant in southwest Georgia. Hours later, they left the courthouse applauding the sentence.

"It should be enough to send a message to the other manufacturers that this is not going to be tolerated anymore and they had better inspect their food," said Randy Napier, whose 80-year-old mother died from salmonella poisoning after eating peanut butter from Parnell's plant.

Experts say the trial of Parnell and two co-defendants a year ago marked the first time U.S. food producers stood trial on criminal charges in a food-poisoning case. The company went bankrupt after the salmonella outbreak.