Jan. 18, 2009
Salmonella Outbreak Expands Peanut Butter Warnings
Some Sold in West Virginia
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Staff Writer
Atlanta, GA (HNN) – The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday January 17 has expanded its warnings about eating peanut butter products due to a salmonella outbreak that has made more than 470 people ill.
However, the warning does not apply (at this time) to any national brands of jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores. As the investigation continues over the weekend, and into next week, the FDA will be able to update the advice based on new sampling and distribution information.
At this time, the FDA has traced one likely source of Salmonella Typhimurium contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which manufactures both peanut butter that is institutionally served in such settings as long-term care facilities and cafeterias, and peanut paste—a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts—that is distributed to food manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many products including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and ice cream.
Based on this information, and on the current state of the investigation, the FDA recommends that consumers avoid eating products that have been recalled and discard them.
Because identification of products subject to recall is continuing, the FDA urges consumers to postpone eating peanut butter-containing products until further information becomes available about which products may be affected. Efforts to specifically identify those products are ongoing.
At this time, there is no indication that any national name brand jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores are linked to the PCA recall. As the investigation continues over the weekend, and into next week, the FDA will be able to update the advice based on new sampling and distribution information.
However, certain national brands such as Kellogg’s have announced recalls as has Perry’s Ice Cream. Perry’s productions have been distributed in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. The Perry’s items are:
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Perry's Premium Peanut Butter Cup Craze Ice Cream 1/2 Pint
Perry's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.5 QT, 1.75 QT AND 3 GL
Perry's Peanut Butter Chip Frozen Yogurt 1.5 QT, 1.75 QT and 3 GL
Perry's Peanut Butter Sundae Crunch Ice Cream Bar Bulk 24 pack
Perry's Premium Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream 1.5 QT and 1.75 QT
Perry's Perfectly Churned Light Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.5 QT and 1.75 QT
Perry's Light Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Shurfine Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Chocolate Nutty Cone Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT and Pint
Wegmans Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Sundae Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Pretzel Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream Bar 6 pack
Wegmans Peanut Butter Candy Sundae Cup Ice Cream 4 pack
Wegmans Peanut Butter Sundae Cup Ice Cream 4 pack
"Product quality and consumer safety have been our top priority for over 90 years and our decision today reflects that tradition,” said Robert Denning, president and CEO, Perry’s Ice Cream. “We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers."
The FDA is working closely with members of the food industry to narrow this advice and to publish a detailed list of implicated products as soon as possible. The FDA is encouraging manufacturers to help inform consumers about whether their products could have contained commercially prepared peanut butter or peanut paste from PCA. Also, if manufacturers know their products do not contain ingredients from PCA, they may wish to inform consumers of that fact. Retailers should stop selling products which have been recalled.
The FDA will closely monitor these events by continuing to work with the firms on the details of their actions, conduct follow-up audits and inspections, monitor the progress of the firms’ actions, and notify our foreign regulatory counterparts of products that may have been distributed internationally.
The company expanded it Friday to a voluntary recall of all peanut butter produced on or after Aug. 8, 2008, and peanut paste produced on or after Sept. 26, 2008, at the Georgia plant.
Late Friday, Kellogg announced it is recalling as a precaution about 33,000 cases of cookies, and 7 million cases of crackers from grocery shelves. On Saturday a company spokesperson, Kris Charles, declined to say how much the recall is costing.
Kellogg is now asking consumers who possess recalled products to destroy them. Consumers wishing to receive a refund may do so by calling the customer service number listed on the recall notice.
These are the products Kellog has told retailers to recall and customers to destroy:
• Austin Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut ButterSandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers.
• Austin Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.
• Austin Quality FoodsCookie/Cracker Pack.
• Austin Quality FoodsVariety Pack.
• Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Keebler Toast & PB’n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Keebler Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce).
• Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce).
Click the following for the link to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s webpage: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html
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Salmonella Outbreak Expands Peanut Butter Warnings
Some Sold in West Virginia
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Staff Writer
Atlanta, GA (HNN) – The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday January 17 has expanded its warnings about eating peanut butter products due to a salmonella outbreak that has made more than 470 people ill.
However, the warning does not apply (at this time) to any national brands of jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores. As the investigation continues over the weekend, and into next week, the FDA will be able to update the advice based on new sampling and distribution information.
At this time, the FDA has traced one likely source of Salmonella Typhimurium contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which manufactures both peanut butter that is institutionally served in such settings as long-term care facilities and cafeterias, and peanut paste—a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts—that is distributed to food manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many products including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and ice cream.
Based on this information, and on the current state of the investigation, the FDA recommends that consumers avoid eating products that have been recalled and discard them.
Because identification of products subject to recall is continuing, the FDA urges consumers to postpone eating peanut butter-containing products until further information becomes available about which products may be affected. Efforts to specifically identify those products are ongoing.
At this time, there is no indication that any national name brand jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores are linked to the PCA recall. As the investigation continues over the weekend, and into next week, the FDA will be able to update the advice based on new sampling and distribution information.
However, certain national brands such as Kellogg’s have announced recalls as has Perry’s Ice Cream. Perry’s productions have been distributed in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. The Perry’s items are:
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Perry's Premium Peanut Butter Cup Craze Ice Cream 1/2 Pint
Perry's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.5 QT, 1.75 QT AND 3 GL
Perry's Peanut Butter Chip Frozen Yogurt 1.5 QT, 1.75 QT and 3 GL
Perry's Peanut Butter Sundae Crunch Ice Cream Bar Bulk 24 pack
Perry's Premium Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream 1.5 QT and 1.75 QT
Perry's Perfectly Churned Light Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.5 QT and 1.75 QT
Perry's Light Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Shurfine Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Chocolate Nutty Cone Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT and Pint
Wegmans Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Sundae Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Pretzel Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream Bar 6 pack
Wegmans Peanut Butter Candy Sundae Cup Ice Cream 4 pack
Wegmans Peanut Butter Sundae Cup Ice Cream 4 pack
"Product quality and consumer safety have been our top priority for over 90 years and our decision today reflects that tradition,” said Robert Denning, president and CEO, Perry’s Ice Cream. “We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers."
The FDA is working closely with members of the food industry to narrow this advice and to publish a detailed list of implicated products as soon as possible. The FDA is encouraging manufacturers to help inform consumers about whether their products could have contained commercially prepared peanut butter or peanut paste from PCA. Also, if manufacturers know their products do not contain ingredients from PCA, they may wish to inform consumers of that fact. Retailers should stop selling products which have been recalled.
The FDA will closely monitor these events by continuing to work with the firms on the details of their actions, conduct follow-up audits and inspections, monitor the progress of the firms’ actions, and notify our foreign regulatory counterparts of products that may have been distributed internationally.
The company expanded it Friday to a voluntary recall of all peanut butter produced on or after Aug. 8, 2008, and peanut paste produced on or after Sept. 26, 2008, at the Georgia plant.
Late Friday, Kellogg announced it is recalling as a precaution about 33,000 cases of cookies, and 7 million cases of crackers from grocery shelves. On Saturday a company spokesperson, Kris Charles, declined to say how much the recall is costing.
Kellogg is now asking consumers who possess recalled products to destroy them. Consumers wishing to receive a refund may do so by calling the customer service number listed on the recall notice.
These are the products Kellog has told retailers to recall and customers to destroy:
• Austin Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut ButterSandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers.
• Austin Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.
• Austin Quality FoodsCookie/Cracker Pack.
• Austin Quality FoodsVariety Pack.
• Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Keebler Toast & PB’n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Keebler Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.
• Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce).
• Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce).
Click the following for the link to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s webpage: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html
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