Perdue: State Needs More Food Inspections

Georgia politicians are searching for answers over the nationwide outbreak of salmonella that has been traced to a Blakely peanut manufacturing plant.

Gov. Sonny Perdue reported the state needs a "zero fail" goal, noting that one instance of not protecting food safety is one too many.

According to Perdue, Georgia is not capable of having a state inspector in every plant everyday, but that it is important to make sure inspections are regular and thorough. Perdue also believes that criminal charges should be brought against a plant that has knowingly distributed tainted products.

To date, some 500 people nationwide have been sickened by the salmonella outbreak, with six reported deaths.

In an inspection of the Peanut Corp. plant in Blakely, inspectors discovered roaches, mold and a leaking roof. The company's internal records indicated at least a dozen positive tests for salmonella.