Update on FDA's
Investigation
January 23, 2009
: A
combination of epidemiological analysis and laboratory testing
by state officials in Minnesota and Connecticut, the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) have enabled FDA to confirm that the sources
of the outbreak of illnesses caused by
Salmonella Typhimurium
are peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation
of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Georgia processing plant.
Peanut butter is sold by PCA in bulk containers ranging in size
from five (5) to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste is sold
in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to product sold by
the tanker container. Neither of these products is sold
directly to consumers.
However, through its investigation, FDA has determined that
PCA distributed potentially contaminated product to more than
70 consignee firms, for use as an ingredient in hundreds of different
products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream. Companies
all over the country that received product from PCA have issued
voluntary recalls of their products. FDA has created a
searchable database for these products, which can be found at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm,
Identification of products subject to recall is continuing and
this list is updated frequently.
Product
recalls now include some pet food products that contain peanut paste
that was made by PCA. While the risk of animals contracting
salmonellosis is minimal, there is risk to humans from handling these
products. It is important for people to wash their hands--and make sure
children wash their hands--before and, especially, after feeding treats
to pets. Further information for consumers is located in the Frequently
Asked Questions section located on this web site. The pet food products
are also included in the searchable data base of recalled products.
Major national brands of jarred peanut butter
found in grocery stores are not affected by the PCA recall.
FDA and CDC recommendations for consumers include:
-
Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them
away in a manner that prevents others from eating them.
-
To determine if commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut
butter/peanut paste-containing products (such as cookies, crackers,
cereal, candy and ice cream) are subject to recall, consumers
are urged first to visit FDA’s website and check the
searchable database of recalled products.
-
For information on
products containing peanut butter from companies
not reporting
recalls, consumers may wish to consult the company’s
website or call the toll-free number listed on most packaging. Information
consumers may receive from the companies has not been verified
by the FDA.
-
If consumers cannot determine if their peanut butter,
peanut butter/peanut paste-containing products or institutionally-served
peanut butter contains PCA peanut butter/peanut paste, FDA
recommends that they do not consume those products.
-
Persons
who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter
are advised to consult their health care providers.
For Retailers
-
Stop selling recalled products.
For Directors of Institutions and Food Service Establishments
-
Ensure that they are not serving recalled products.
For Manufacturers
-
Inform consumers about whether their products could contain
peanut butter or peanut paste from Peanut Corporation of America
(PCA). If a manufacturer knows their products do not
contain peanut butter or peanut paste from PCA, they should
inform consumers of that. For specific guidance: Guidance
for Industry: Product Recalls, Including Removals and Corrections
The FDA will closely monitor these events by continuing to
work with the firms on the details of their actions, conducting
follow-up audits and inspections, monitoring the progress of
the firms’ actions, working with state and local regulatory
authorities, and notifying our foreign regulatory counterparts
of products that have now been confirmed as having been distributed
internationally.
Ongoing Investigation
FDA has collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and public health officials in various states to investigate the multi-state
outbreak of human infections due to
Salmonella Typhimurium. An
epidemiological investigation by the Minnesota Department of
Health isolated and tested subsamples from an open five-pound
container of King Nut peanut butter obtained at a nursing home
where three patients were sickened by the outbreak strain of
Salmonella Typhimurium. The Minnesota Health officials
found the peanut butter contained the same strain of
Salmonella Typhimurium
associated with the illnesses linked to the outbreak.
Because it is always possible that the open container was contaminated
by someone or something else in the environment, the FDA and
the states began testing unopened containers of the same brand
of peanut butter. King Nut distributes peanut butter manufactured
by the PCA to institutional facilities, food service industries,
and private label food companies in several states.
On
January 19, 2009, testing by the Connecticut Department of Health
of an unopened container of King Nut peanut butter showed that
it too contained the same strain of
Salmonella Typhimurium
associated with illnesses linked to the outbreak. The fact that
the
Salmonella Typhimurium was confirmed in an unopened
container of peanut butter indicates that peanut butter originating
from the processing plant was contaminated.
FDA has initiated
inspections at the direct consignees of PCA and King Nut and
continues to follow the distribution points for products.
The
FDA has no evidence to suggest that the
Salmonella Typhimurium
contamination originated with any other major manufacturing
facility other than PCA. The PCA facility in Blakely, Georgia
is not operating at this time and the company has recalled
peanut butter and peanut paste produced from July 1, 2008 to
the present.
The FDA and food manufacturers are working
to identify products that may be affected, and to track the ingredient
supply chain of those products to facilitate their removal from
the marketplace.
For the latest information on the outbreak and
the epidemiological investigation, including number of illnesses
and a list of states reporting illnesses, go to the CDC web page
at
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium/ .
What Products
Have Been Recalled?
News Updates
List of
Company Recalls
-
Trader
Joe’s Expands Its Voluntary Recall To Include Trader Joe’s
Sliced Green Apples With All Natural Peanut Butter
(January 23)
New!
-
Supreme
Protein Voluntarily Recalls Supreme Protein® brand Peanut
Butter Crunch Bars and Caramel Nut Bars
(January 23)
New!
-
Voluntary
Recall Issued for ShopRite Peanut Butter on Toasty Crackers
and ShopRite Peanut Butter and Cheese Cracker Snacks Because
of Possible Health Risk
(January 24)
New!
-
General
Mills Issues Voluntary Recall of LÄRABAR and JamFrakas
Peanut Butter Snack Bars
(January 19)
-
Whole
Foods Market Recalls "Whole Foods Carob Energee Nuggets”
(January
23)
-
Amway Global
Initiates Nationwide Recall of NUTRILITE Energy Bars
Because of Possible Health Risk
(January
23)
-
Brent
and Sam’s Announces Nation Wide Recall of Two Varieties
of Archer Farms Brand Cookies
(January 23)
-
Brent
and Sam’s Announces a Nationwide Recall of One Variety
of Sam’s
Choice Brand Cookies
(January 23)
-
Trader
Joe’s Announces Voluntary Recall of Trader Joe’s Peanut
Butter Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars, Nutty Chocolate
Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars and Sutter’s
Formula Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
22)
-
Parker
Products, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall
of Certain Peanut Butter Products
(January
22)
-
Arbonne
International Voluntarily Recalls Figure 8 Peanut Butter
Chews Due To Possible Health Risk
(January 22)
-
Jimmy's
Cookies Issues Nationwide Recall of Various Peanut Butter
Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
22)
-
Perry's
Ice Cream Company Adds Two Products to Voluntary Recall
of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products
(January
22)
-
Kroger
Recalls Additional Select Ice Cream Product Due to Possible
Health Risk
(January 20)
-
General Nutrition
Centers, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of
Certain Lots of GNC Triflex Peanut Butter Soft Chews
(January
22)
-
Chef Jay’s
Food Products Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of
Products Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health
Risk
(January 21)
-
Rain
Creek Baking Corporation Announces Voluntary Withdrawal of Peanut
Butter Turtles, Peanut Butter Baskets and Peanut Butter Princesses Due
to Possible Health Risk
(January
22)
-
South Bend Chocolate Company Extends Nationwide Recall
of Candy Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella
Contamination
(January 22)
-
Nash
Finch Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed
in Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
20)
-
Aspen
Hills, Inc. Announces Voluntary Product Recall of Certain
Cookie Dough Products
(January 22)
-
Best Brands
Corp. Announces Voluntary Recall of Peanut Butter Frozen
Cookie Dough
(January 21)
-
Lovin Oven,
LLC Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Health
Valley Organic Peanut Crunch Chewy Granola Bars
(January
21)
-
Landies Candies
Co. Inc Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter
Filled Chocolates Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
21)
-
Weis Markets
Announces Voluntary Recall of Weis Quality (WQ) Cheese Peanut
Butter Sandwich Crackers and WQ Toasted Peanut Butter Sandwich
Crackers Due to Possible Health Risk
(January 20)
-
Blanton's
Candies Recalls Peanut Butter Sticks Because of Possible
Health Risk
(January 21)
-
Dinners
Ready Meridian Recalls November & December Asian Marinated
Flank Steak, Indonesian Chicken and Chicken Satay Prepared
Meals Because of Possible Health Risk
(January 20)
-
Boca Grande
Foods Announces a Nationwide Recall of POCO PAC®, and
GRANDE GOURMET™ Peanut Butter Products Because of Possible
Health Risk
(January 20)
-
Premier
Nutrition Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of selected
TWISTED and TITAN Branded Bars Containing Peanut Butter Due
to Possible Health Risk
(January 20)
-
NutriSystem
Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Peanut Butter Granola
Bar Due to Possible Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Contamination
and Potential Health Risk
(January 21)
-
Ready Pac
Foods, Inc Announces Voluntary Product Recall
(January
20)
-
PetSmart
Voluntarily Recalls Grreat Choice® Dog Biscuits
(January
20)
-
Nature's
Path Recalls Peanut Butter Optimum Energy Bars Nationwide
Because of Possible Health Risk
(January 20)
-
Country
Maid Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Classic Breaks® Peanut
Butter Cookie Dough Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
20)
-
Evening
Rise Bread Co. Recalls Peanut Butter Cookies and Bars Because
of Possible Health Risk
(January 19)
-
Clif Bar & Company
Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of CLIF® and LUNA® Branded
Bars Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
19)
-
Kroger Recalls
Select Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
19)
-
Abbott Nutrition
Announces Voluntary Recall of ZonePerfect® Chocolate
Peanut Butter Bars, ZonePerfect® Peanut Toffee Bars and
NutriPals™ Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars in U.S., Mexico,
New Zealand and Singapore
(January 19)
-
Meijer Announces
Voluntary Recall for Some Meijer Brand Peanut Butter Crackers
and Ice Cream Because of Possible Health Risk
(January
19)
-
Peanut
Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut
Butter
(January 18)
-
Ralcorp Frozen
Bakery Products Recalls Wal-Mart Bakery Brand Peanut Butter
Cookies Because Of Possible Health Risk
(January
18)
-
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
(January
18)
-
Ralcorp Frozen
Bakery Products Recalls Food Lion Bake Shop Peanut Butter
Cookies Nationwide Because Of Possible Health Risk
(January
18)
-
South Bend
Chocolate Company Recalls Various Candys Containing Peanut
Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination
(January
18)
-
McKee Foods
Corporation Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Little
Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich
Crackers Because of Possible Health Risk
(January
18)
-
Perry's Ice
Cream Company Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut
Butter Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
17)
-
Hy-Vee Inc.
Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed in
Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk
(January
17)
-
Peanut
Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut
Butter
(January 16)
-
Kellogg Company
Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Austin® and
Keebler® Branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and
Select Snack-Size Packs of Famous Amos® And Keebler® Soft
Batch Peanut Butter Cookies Because of Possible Health Risk
(January
16)
-
Peanut
Corporation of America Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall
of Peanut Butter
(January 13)
-
King Nut Issues
Peanut Butter Recall
(January 10)
Company Action
State Reports
Information
for Industry
Information
for Consumers
Information
About
Salmonella
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a Complaint?
