Salmonella fears lead to more peanut butter product recalls
The South Bend Chocolate Company was the latest company to issue a recall of some of its peanut butter-containing products due to concerns over Salmonella contamination.
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.
Earlier today, McKee Foods Corporation 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.
Yesterday the U.S. Center of Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention warn 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.
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.
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”.
#
Related posts:
- Kellogg puts hold on Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter sandwich crackers
- Salmonella fears prompt nationwide recall of peanut butter from Georgia facility
- Do not eat peanut butter containing products for now – warns CDC
- Peanut butter found to be contaminated with Salmonella
- Amy’s Kitchen recalls Tofu Scramble in Pocket Sandwich
