ConAgra just agreed to an $11.2 million settlement which included $8 million in criminal fines relating to charges of shipping salmonella tainted food across state lines. Though this is the largest criminal fine ever in a US food safety case, it is still negligible compared to the company's FY 2014 earnings, after restructuring charges of 303 million.
A misdemeanor charge was filed against the company, but no officers or executives were charged with anything and nobody went to jail.
More below the tainted peanut.
The case goes back to a 2007 salmonella outbreak that allegedly sickened at least 625 people in 47 states which was traced to the Sylvester, Georgia, plant where ConAgra made Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter. Naturally, ConAgra says it didn't know the stuff was tainted and that it would never sell tainted food. This is probably trivially true.
The company did, however, have some history, as they say. Per the article linked below:
However, the plea agreement notes that ConAgra knew peanut butter made in Georgia had twice tested positive for salmonella in 2004. Prosecutors said the company destroyed the tainted peanut butter and identified likely sources of contamination. The plea document says ConAgra had not finished fixing those problems by the time of the 2007 outbreak.
ConAgra to pay $11.2M to settle salmonella criminal case - SFGate
That article also says:
It's the latest in a series of recent prosecutions of manufacturers linked to food poisoning that has companies "taking notice in a big way," said Bill Marler, an attorney who has represented victims of food-borne illnesses for two decades, including more than 100 sickened in the Peter Pan outbreak.
"Manufacturers are talking about the risk of misdemeanors and criminal fines and jail time," Marler said. "The fine and this plea agreement send an incredibly powerful message to food producers across the county that they have to watch their Ps and Qs."
I've got news for them. Companies that size don't notice fines that size. They operate on the basis of cost-benefit analysis, and that cost is insignificant. Bigger fines are needed, and, more importantly, jail time for some officers and executives.