Ten years after PCA: Reflections on a trial, its impact, and what still needs to change

— OPINION —

This is the final installment of a three-part series marking the 10th anniversary of the historic sentencing in the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) case. To read Part 1, click here. To read Part 2, click here. 

The 2015 sentencing of Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) executives was a seismic event in the food industry — a moment many believed would usher in a new era of corporate accountability in food safety. A decade later, I asked a variety of food safety experts: “Did it?”

The responses were sobering. While some saw it as a wake-up call, most now view it as an outlier, not a precedent.

Executive accountability: A sentence without a precedent

Tyler Williams, Chief Strategy Officer, ASI — “The PCA case shattered the illusion that executives were insulated from criminal accountability. But it didn’t usher in a new era. Criminal prosecutions remain rare. Improvements since PCA have come from FSMA, third-party audits, and consumer pressure — not fear of jail.”

Tatiana Miranda-Abaunza, Senior QA Manager, Adjunct Lecturer —“Despite FSMA and regulatory reform, no senior executive has served time for the major food safety failures that followed PCA — Blue Bell, J.M. Smucker, Boar’s Head, Abbott Nutrition. The legal responses remain civil, not criminal. So, what are we teaching our food safety students? That the signature of the top executive is symbolic, not enforceable?”

Eric Bradley, Food Safety Subject Matter Expert — “It should have changed everything. Instead, fines are just the cost of doing business. Without the threat of prison for knowingly endangering lives, corporate behavior won’t change.”

Melanie Neumann, Food Law & Risk Consultant — “The PCA case intended to signal that executives must take food safety seriously. But that impact has been short-lived. Jail for every CEO isn’t the answer — but neither is continued inaction.”

Whistleblower warnings ignored

Bonna Cannon, Consultant, Bonnafide LLC —“We still blacklist whistleblowers. I’ve been laughed out of boardrooms for citing PCA, threatened for preventing unsafe shipments, and seen FSQA leaders rewarded while consumers paid the price. Companies today invest more in PR than prevention.”

Tatiana Miranda-Abaunza (on FSVP gaps) — “In the toddler food lead contamination crisis, no one has been held accountable — not even the required U.S.-based FSVP importers. Blaming overseas suppliers while domestic executives evade scrutiny is unacceptable.”

Systemic gaps persist

Tatiana Miranda-Abaunza (on Abbott, Boar’s Head, Smucker) —“These are not isolated events. From Listeria in deli meat to Salmonella in peanut butter — again — these cases highlight a failure to apply FSMA meaningfully. Companies pivot to crisis marketing, not culture change. And the DOJ remains silent.”

Lessons forgotten — or never learned

Elena Montoya, Food Safety Educator — “This case was my wake-up call early in my career — a moment that made me want to protect public health. But 10 years later, we still haven’t built the consistent accountability PCA promised. Most consumers don’t even know the case happened. The Park Doctrine could hold executives responsible, but it’s gone underused. The PCA case revived it briefly, but since then, we’ve seen more loopholes than legal action. Without executive liability, we’re relying on history books instead of handcuffs.”

Bonna Cannon — “What we’re calling food safety progress
is often just more polished messaging. If the Boar’s Head case ends like the others, with no criminal charges, it will reinforce what grieving families already suspect: that justice in food safety is just luck.”

What needs to change

As we reflect on the PCA anniversary, here’s what leaders and advocates consistently say must happen:

• Reinforce the Park Doctrine as a deterrent and apply it consistently
• Protect whistleblowers through stronger federal safeguards
• Expand executive accountability beyond financial settlements
• Educate food safety students on ethical as well as regulatory obligations
• Treat foodborne illness as a criminal justice issue, not just a public health one

A warning, not a wake-up

From Blue Bell to Boar’s Head, from toddler snacks to baby formula, the pattern is undeniable: massive harm, civil settlements, and executives untouched by criminal justice.

In 2015, the PCA sentences offered me hope that those “Bad Actor” corporate leaders could no longer ignore the consequences of knowingly endangering lives. In 2025, that hope remains unfulfilled.

The system still prioritizes profits over people. The families still suffer. The justice – when it comes – is still too rare, too late, and too easily forgotten.

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Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/09/ten-years-after-pca-reflections-on-a-trial-its-impact-and-what-still-needs-to-change/