Peanut Butter Recalls over Salmonella Outbreak

Peanut Butter Recalls due to Salmonella affects many products and companies:

The latest in the peanut butter recall being Little Debbie snack foods in a nationwide outbreak of peanut butter salmonella. They are recalling two types of crackers that could be contaminated.

This outbreak has been connected to Peanut Corporation of America's (PCA) facility in Georgia which supplies peanut paste and peanut butter to many other companies including institutions, food service industries and private label food companies.

Salmonella found in the King Nut peanut butter was confirmed to be the outbreak strain, and late last Friday(Jan 16, 2009), investigators announced they found salmonella in peanut butter at PCA's Blakeley, Georgia facility. That plant has since been closed pending further investigation. In addition to peanut butter, the PCA factory also makes peanut paste used in a variety of foods from sauces to baked goods.

21 lots of peanut butter recalled were sold in 5- to 50-pound containers. The peanut butter was sold in bulk under PCA's name, Parnell's Pride or King Nut.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this strain of Salmonella Typhimurium has sickened 474 people in 43 states with almost a quarter of them requiring hospitalization and resulting in six known deaths.

For young children, frail or elderly and those having weakened immune systems Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. Amongst the Healthy persons infected with salmonella they experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare instances, salmonella infection 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 first peanut butter recall was announced by Kellogg's for their snack foods which include several varieties packaged under the Keebler and Austin brand snack crackers and cookies, in addition to the famous peanut butter Amos cookies.

Little Debbie is now among an increasing list of companies involved in peanut butter recalled snacks.

McKee Food Corporation recalled all sizes of Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty sandwich crackers and Little Debbie Peanut Butter Cheese sandwich crackers.

Peanut butter recalled products are amongst the following growing list of companies:

Perry’s Ice Cream sold under the Wegmans brand peanut butter have been recalled.

Peanut butter cookies sold at Walmart under the Walmart brand have been recalled.

South Bend Chocolate Co., Indiana: certain products and bulk candies that contain peanut butter

Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, Inc.: Food Lion Bake Shop brand Peanut Butter Cookies;

Some varieties of Lofthouse brand Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies;

Parco Foods' Chuck's Chunky food service brand Peanut Butter Cookies; and Pastries Plus Gourmet Cookies

Hy-Vee Inc.: Peanut Butter Cookies, Monster Cookies, Peanut Butter Reese's Pieces Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lunchbox Reese's Pieces Cookies, Lunchbox Peanut Butter Cookies, People Chow Party Mix and Assorted Truffle Fudge

The FDA is cautioning consumers and asking them to avoid all food snacks containing peanut butter or peanut paste until the current investigation over the salmonella outbreak is completed by the agency.

However, according to the FDA most peanut butter sold in jars at retail stores appear to be safe.
PCA said the recalled products were distributed to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies in 24 states (including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and South Carolina) and the recall affected only products at the Georgia facility for products made after July 1, 2008.

People mainly in schools, restaurants, long-term care facilities, hospitals and cafeteria's are most at risk of coming in contact with the contaminated peanut butter as they were mainly sold in bulk.

Safe List: (Please research further and confirm before consuming)

Products by Lance Inc, Tasty Baking Co, Hershey Co and ConAgra Foods.

Girl Scout cookies are safe to eat, as the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) did not supply any peanut products to them.



Please continue to research further Peanut Butter Recalls due to Salmonella as updates occur due to new findings. The above is in no way authoritative as the findings continue to evolve.