Peanut Butter Recalled

"Peanut butter recalled amid salmonella outbreak"

As many of you are peanut allergic, you may have overlooked the whole story but I’m not peanut allergic, I eat PB&J a few times a week so this was indeed worrisome.

From CNN: "King Nut Companies issued a total recall of peanut butter that it distributes Saturday amid fears of a salmonella outbreak that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said has infected 399 people in 42 states. Ohio-based King Nut acknowledged in a statement that salmonella had been found in an open 5-pound tub of King Nut peanut butter."

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This letter was issued by the National Peanut Board on January 10, 2009.

RE: Press Coverage of Salmonella Outbreak involving Peanut Butter

A Reuter Newswire item today reported that Minnesota health officials announced that salmonella was found in King Nut brand peanut butter. (See links below.) According to the news reports, the peanut butter was distributed to nursing homes, schools, bakeries, and other institutional destinations and is not thought to have been sold in retail outlets. The genetic strain of salmonella found in the outbreak is being linked to the same type that has sickened nearly 400 people in 42 states.

The American Peanut Council and the National Peanut Board are working together to monitor and address the issue.

Below are some facts as we know them now and also some links to the various news reports.

According to the King Nut Company website, King Nut was the distributor and did not produce the peanut butter. Their website indicates the peanut butter was produced by Peanut Corp. of America. (PCA)

PCA, which manufacturers a variety of peanut and peanut butter products, has operations in George, Texas and Virginia.

The strain of salmonella found in the peanut butter and in other cases throughout the U.S. is Salmonella typhimurium; however, this is a very common strain. Further DNA testing to determine the exact species is required to see if there is a match with other reported cases in the U.S. before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. It is unclear how DNA fingerprinting of the strain has already been done by the Minnesota Dept. of Health and others.

Links:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/37368434.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciatkEP7DhUsl
http://www.kingnut.com/site.cfm/news.cfm
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=107460
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-10-salmonella_N.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090110/hl_hsn/peanutbuttereyedassourceofsalmonellaoutbreak

As more information is confirmed, we'll have a press release available.

Comments

Melonie said…
Thanks for passing this on! My daughter eats pb every single day for lunch. (No such thing as variety, by her choice. LOL) I'll be watching to see what retail brands this affects, if any. Ugh!
Jenny said…
This is interesting to me...as the mom of a child severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, I wonder how the non-allergic will regard peanut butter after all these salmonella outbreaks as of late. Once peanut butter can be regarded as "dangerous" to the general population, it may help others understand the allergic point of view??? And what's up with all this salmonella in our food now, anyway? Tomatoes, peppers, peanut butter. It seems our food supply is really not safe anymore for anyone.

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