Salmonella fears prompt more peanut butter product recalls

A growing list of companies are recalling products containing peanut butter ingredients because of concerns of Salmonella contamination.

The latest is Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, Inc., which is recalling its Lofthouse brand Peanut butter Cookies, Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies, and Peanut Butter Fudge No-Bake Cookies and its  Parco Foods’ Chuck’s Chunky food service brand Peanut Butter Cookies and Pastries Plus Gourmet Cookies. (For full details see the company’s press release at the end of this posting.)

“The recalled cookies contain peanut butter supplied by Peanut Corporation of America which is the subject of an investigation concerning recent Salmonella outbreaks,” the company said in a press release announcing the recall.

Ralcorp has also recalled  all Wal-Mart Bakery brands of Peanut Butter Cookiers, Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies, and Peanut Butter Fudge No-Bake Cookies. (For full details see the company’s press releast at the end of this posting.)

Meanwhile, the Peanut Corporation of American has expand the recall of its products. The company does not sell directly to consumers but does supply peanut butter-containing products to institutional food services, bakeries and other companies that do sell products in retail stores and other consumer outlets. (For full details of the expanded recall see the company’s press release at the end of this posting.)

Over the weekend, South Bend Chocolate Company  issued a recall of some of its peanut butter-containing products due to the same concerns.

The recalled products are candies sold under the South Bend Chocolate Company brand name. (For a full list of the products recalled see the company’s press release at the end of this posting.)

Another company, McKee Foods Corporation, has announced it was recalling two varieties of peanut butter sandwich cracker products because of concerns they may be contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella.

The two products are Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty sandwich crackers and Little Debbie Peanut Butter Cheese sandwich crackers. All sizes of these products have been recalled.

No other Little Debbie products are involved in this recall, the company said.

Both companies said the recalled products contained peanut butter produced by the Peanut Corporation of America, which may be contaminated with the Salmonella.

Last week, the U.S. Center of Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention warned consumers not to eat any peanut butter containing products until investigators have determined that the products are free of contamination from the bacterium Salmonella.

As of Friday, Jan. 17, 474 people in 43 states have become infected a strain of the bacterium known as Salmonella Typhimurium, the CDC said, including 13 in Washington state—three of whom live in King County.

Specifically the CDC warns consumers:

• Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating them.
  
• Postpone eating other peanut butter containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream) until information becomes available about whether that product may be affected.
  
• Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care providers.

Salmonella is a bacteria which causes a gastrointestinal infection. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), People infected with the bacteria typically develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after infection.

Most people recover within 4 to 7 days without treatment, but infants, the elderly, and those with impaired immune systems are at risk of developing more severe infections in which the bacteria enters the bloodstream and infects other parts of the body, the CDC warns.

Such infections can be fatal and should be treated with antibiotics, the CDC says.

PHOTO CREDIT: CDC

To learn more:

• Read the press release from McKee Foods Corporation announcing the recall below.
• Read LocalHealthGuide’s coverage of the CDC’s warning about peanut butter containing products.
• Visit the CDC’s Salmonella Outbreak Update Web page.
• Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Salmonella Outbreak Update Web page.
• Visit Public Health – Seattle & King County information page which has links to information on Salmonella in Chinese, English, Korean, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, Inc. press release:

Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Lofthouse Peanut Butter Cookies, Chuck’s Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies And Pastries Plus Gourmet Cookies Nationwide Because Of Possible Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Downers Grove, IL, January 18, 2009 — Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, Inc. announced that it has taken the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling its Lofthouse® brand PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES, PEANUT BUTTER NO-BAKE COOKIES and PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE NO-BAKE COOKIES, Parco Foods’ Chuck’s Chunky® food service brand PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES and Pastries Plus GOURMET COOKIES because the cookies have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled cookies contain peanut butter supplied by Peanut Corporation of America which is the subject of an investigation concerning recent Salmonella outbreaks. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled cookies. No other type of Lofthouse, Chuck’s Chunky or Pastries Plus brand cookies are being recalled.

The Lofthouse peanut butter cookies are sold in 12 count clear plastic clamshell containers while the peanut butter fudge no-bake cookies and the peanut butter no-bake cookies are sold in 9 or 12 count clear plastic clamshell containers. The recalled Lofthouse cookies are sold nationally in the in-store bakery sections of grocery stores and other food retailers. The Parco Foods’ Chuck’s Chunky cookies are distributed nationally in 5lb boxes in the food service channels. The Pastries Plus gourmet cookies were sold in 21 count plastic containers in select club stores nationally. All products will have a lot code of 9200 or less.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

The FDA and other regulatory agencies have indicated that Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) is the focus of their investigation concerning a recent Salmonella outbreak thought to be caused by tainted peanut butter. PCA supplied Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products with the peanut butter it used in the recalled cookies, prompting the voluntary recall.

Consumers who have purchased any products covered by this recall are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions or concerns about the recall may call the toll-free hotline at 1-888-421-4699. Consumers with questions or concerns about their health should contact their doctor.

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Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, Inc.’s press release concerning the recall of Wal-Mart Bakery brand peanut butter cookies:

Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Wal-Mart Bakery Brand Peanut Butter Cookies Because Of Possible Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Downers Grove, IL, January 18, 2009 — Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, Inc. announced that it has taken the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling all Wal-Mart Bakery brands of PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES, PEANUT BUTTER NO-BAKE COOKIES and PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE NO-BAKE COOKIES because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  The cookies contain peanut butter supplied by Peanut Corporation of America which is the subject of an FDA investigation concerning recent Salmonella outbreaks. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled cookies and no other type of Wal-Mart Bakery brand cookies are being recalled.

The recalled peanut butter cookies are distributed nationally under the Wal-Mart Bakery cookies brand. The recalled Wal-Mart Bakery no-bake peanut butter cookies and no-bake fudge peanut butter cookies were distributed nationally with the exception of the following states:  Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hamshire and Maine.  The cookies are sold in the in-store bakery sections of only Wal-Mart stores and have a code date of 9200 or less.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection withSalmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

The FDA and other regulatory agencies have indicated that Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) is the focus of their investigation concerning a recent Salmonella outbreak thought to be caused by tainted peanut butter.  PCA supplied the Company with peanut butter it used in the recalled cookies.  The Company has been informed that the FDA continues its investigation as to what caused the problem with peanut butter supplied by PCA.

Consumers who have purchased any products covered by this recall are urged to return them to the store of purchase for a full refund.  Consumers with questions or concerns about the recall may call the 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-888-421-4699.  Consumers with questions or concerns about their health should contact their doctor.

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Peanut Corporation of American press release about its expanded recall:

Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter
Company Announces the Voluntary Recall of Peanut Paste Produced in Georgia Plant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Lynchburg, Va. (January 18, 2009) — Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), is expanding the recall of peanut butter and voluntarily recalling peanut paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The recalled peanut butter and peanut paste were distributed to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies in 24 states, the province of Saskatchewan in Canada, Korea and Haiti. The U.S. states are the following: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In addition, affected product was used as an ingredient in other products that may have been distributed in other states.

None of the peanut butter being recalled is sold directly to consumers through retail stores by PCA.

The recalled peanut butter in the expanded recall is sold by PCA in bulk packaging in containers ranging in size from five to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to tanker containers. The lot numbers for all recalled products are at the end of this news release. All of the peanut butter and peanut paste in the expanded recall was made on or after July 1, 2008, and only at the Georgia facility.

The potential for contamination was noted after a small number of samples from unopened containers and environmental samples from the Blakely, Georgia facility tested positive for Salmonella. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation is “very active and dynamic,” and PCA continues to work closely with the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as they continue their investigation into the nationwide outbreak of Salmonella.

The Blakely, Georgia facility has currently stopped producing all products as the FDA and CDC continue their investigation, but some PCA staff remain to assist in the on-going investigation.

PCA is notifying customers that may have received the recalled product by phone and/or in writing. Customers should segregate and hold the product and call PCA at 1-877-564-7080 for further instructions. “We deeply regret that this product recall has expanded, and our first priority is to protect the health of our customers,” said Stewart Parnell, President of Peanut Corporation of America.

The following is a list of all the products affected by the original recall and the amended recall:

Lot Numbers Affected:

8183 8184 8185 8186 8187 8188 8189 8190 8191 8192 8193 8194 8195 8196 8197 8198
8199 8200 8201 8202 8203 8204 8205 8206 8207 8208 8209 8210 8211 8212 8213 8214
8215 8216 8217 8218 8219 8220 8221 8222 8223 8224 8225 8226 8227 8228 8229 8230
8231 8232 8233 8234 8235 8236 8237 8238 8239 8240 8241 8242 8243 8244 8245 8246
8247 8248 8249 8250 8251 8252 8253 8254 8255 8256 8257 8258 8259 8260 8261 8262
8263 8264 8265 8266 8267 8268 8269 8270 8271 8272 8273 8274 8275 8276 8277 8278
8279 8280 8281 8282 8283 8284 8285 8286 8287 8288 8289 8290 8291 8292 8293 8294
8295 8296 8297 8298 8299 8300 8301 8302 8303 8304 8305 8306 8307 8308 8309 8310
8311 8312 8313 8314 8315 8316 8317 8318 8319 8320 8321 8322 8323 8324 8325 8326
8327 8328 8329 8330 8331 8332 8333 8334 8335 8336 8337 8338 8339 8340 8341 8342
8343 8344 8345 8346 8347 8348 8349 8350 8351 8352 8353 8354 8355 8356 8357 8358
8359 8360 8361 8362 8363 8364 8365 8366 9001 9002 9003 9004 9005 9006 9007 9008
9009 9010 9011 9012 9013 9014 9015 9016

Lot Numbers Affected:
8169 8170 8172 8173 8174 8184 8185 8186 8187 8203 8204 8205 8206 8214 8215 8216
8217 8219 8220 8221 8222 8223 8225 8226 8227 8228 8259 8260 8261 8262 8263 8264
8280 8281 8282 8283 8302 8303 8304 8305 8308 8309 8310 8311 8343 8344 8345 8346
8347 8350 8351 8352

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McKee Foods press release:

McKee Foods Corporation Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers Because of Possible Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. — January 18, 2009 — McKee Foods Corporation today announced a voluntary recall of two varieties of peanut butter sandwich crackers because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The two sandwich crackers are:

Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty sandwich crackers – all sizes.
Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Cheese sandwich crackers – all sizes.
No other Little Debbie® products are involved in this recall.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection withSalmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

These two sandwich cracker products were manufactured for McKee Foods by Kellogg Company. On January 14, Kellogg Company announced a precautionary hold on several of its peanut butter sandwich crackers while FDA and other authorities investigated Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), one of Kellogg’s peanut paste suppliers for these crackers. McKee Foods followed that action with a voluntary withdrawal of the two Little Debbie® peanut butter sandwich crackers. PCA has now expanded their earlier recall to include peanut paste and peanut butter, prompting Kellogg to immediately announce a recall of certain cookie and cracker products. Accordingly, McKee Foods is announcing this recall of its two peanut butter sandwich crackers.

McKee Foods has not received any consumer illness complaints about its Peanut Butter Toasty or Peanut Butter Cheese sandwich crackers.

Products impacted by the recall were produced on or after July 1, 2008, and include all sizes, weights and packages.

The Little Debbie® Cheddar on Cheese sandwich cracker is not affected by this action.

McKee Foods does not purchase peanut paste or peanut butter from PCA, and therefore, no other Little Debbie® products containing peanut butter are affected by this action.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are urged to discard the crackers but retain the freshness code and contact Consumer Affairs at 1-800-522-4499.

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Press Release from South Bend Chocolate Company:

South Bend Chocolate Company Recalls Various Candys Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — January 18, 2009 — The South Bend Chocolate Company today announced a voluntary recall of certain candy products because they contain peanut butter from Peanut Corporation of America, which may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

Candy impacted by the recall are all sold under The South Bend Chocolate Company brand name and were produced on or after July 1, 2008.

The candies under recall including:

Assorted chocolates in 5 ounce (Product 121), 8 ounce (Product 122), 12 ounce (Product 123) and 26 ounce (Product 124) boxes [Note the sugar free assorted chocolates are not affected, and are not part of the recall]

Hoosiers in 5 ounce (Product 010, UPC# 4482300011) and 3.5 ounce (Product o11, UPC# 4482300010)
Valentine Heart, 14 ounces (Product 1020)

The following products are also under recall and are sold to retail stores in bulk for sales of smaller quantities to their customers:

• 4.5 lb Peanut Butter Fudge, Product 228
• 4 lb. Hoosiers, Product 410
• 5 lb. Peanut Butter Meltaway, Milk Chocolate, Product 204
• 5 lb. Peanut Butter Meltaways-Dark Chocolate, Product 204D
• 4.5lb Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Product 229

Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are urged to return it to the store of purchase, or to destroy the product. Consumers with questions may contact The South Bend Chocolate Company at 574-233-2577. Consumers with questions or concerns about their health should contact their health care professional. Consumers with symptoms are urged to visit their health professional or to go to a hospital emergency room.

The South Bend Chocolate Company, based in South Bend, Indiana, said it hasn’t found any problems or received any complaints about these products. Mark Tarner, President of The South Bend Chocolate Company, said: “we are taken these steps out of concern for our customers”.

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Related posts:

1. Salmonella fears lead to more peanut butter product recalls
2. Salmonella fears prompt nationwide recall of peanut butter from Georgia facility
3. Do not eat peanut butter containing products for now – warns CDC
4. Peanut butter found to be contaminated with Salmonella
5. Kellogg puts hold on Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter sandwich crackers