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DC COLUMNISTS DEBATE: Peanut butter ban in dining halls
Cindy Luo and Gabe Kovacs
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Commentary
• No one is disputing the nutritional value of peanuts. However, the risk of salmonella outweighs the protein benefits of peanuts, given the serious nature of the current peanut salmonella outbreak.
• Much of the campus' peanut butter comes in individual packets, so it may be difficult for people to identify if their peanut butter is infected.
• Given the substantial health risk in the current crisis, UConn has a responsibility to take every possible precaution to protect us. They are doing just that.
• It is not as if only one company has this problem; it was the Peanut Corp. of America that produced these peanuts. The FDA Web site says that several different peanut butter companies and distributors have distributed tainted peanut butter.
• In this case, the pros outweigh the cons; I'd prefer to struggle to find alternative sources of protein rather than risk salmonella exposure, which can lead to severe illness and even death.
• Peanuts are too nutritious to get rid of; they are packed with protein.
• It's easy to identify which peanut butter is and is not infected. The tainted peanut butter is discolored and smelly and, thus, easily identifiable. When students make their sandwiches, for example, they can look at their peanut butter to see if it appears contaminated.
• It's absurd to remove all peanut butter from the dining halls, since salmonella is something companies can inspect for. Also, the university can buy from suppliers who haven't produced any of the tainted peanut butter.
• People, particularly vegetarians and vegans, depend upon peanuts as a vital source of protein. Many of these students have struggled to make up for the missing peanut-provided protein in the diet.
• Much of the campus' peanut butter comes in individual packets, so it may be difficult for people to identify if their peanut butter is infected.
• Given the substantial health risk in the current crisis, UConn has a responsibility to take every possible precaution to protect us. They are doing just that.
• It is not as if only one company has this problem; it was the Peanut Corp. of America that produced these peanuts. The FDA Web site says that several different peanut butter companies and distributors have distributed tainted peanut butter.
• In this case, the pros outweigh the cons; I'd prefer to struggle to find alternative sources of protein rather than risk salmonella exposure, which can lead to severe illness and even death.
• Peanuts are too nutritious to get rid of; they are packed with protein.
• It's easy to identify which peanut butter is and is not infected. The tainted peanut butter is discolored and smelly and, thus, easily identifiable. When students make their sandwiches, for example, they can look at their peanut butter to see if it appears contaminated.
• It's absurd to remove all peanut butter from the dining halls, since salmonella is something companies can inspect for. Also, the university can buy from suppliers who haven't produced any of the tainted peanut butter.
• People, particularly vegetarians and vegans, depend upon peanuts as a vital source of protein. Many of these students have struggled to make up for the missing peanut-provided protein in the diet.
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