Peanut butter scandal....how to use social media to handle crisis.

Crisis Management 2.0: Peanut Butter Blues

Here's an article I found in a social media blog, but I feel it pertains to food health and safety in general. All too often companies and their brands would rather not comment at all on scandal (i.e. peanut butter scare) but is that really the best way to service their customers? Why not use their websites are marketing tools to better clarify the situation? BTW....peanut butter sales were down 25% in January....lol....if the non-tainted products had stepped up to help inform the general public, would this not have been an opportunity to increase their particular brand's sales?