Posted on 02/14/2007 9:35:51 PM PST by Buddy B
FDA News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P07-21 February 14, 2007
Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Certain Jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter Product May be Contaminated With Salmonella
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of contamination with Salmonella Tennessee (a bacterium that causes foodborne illness). The affected jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter have a product code located on the lid of the jar that begins with the number "2111." Both the Peter Pan and Great Value brands are manufactured in a single facility in Georgia by ConAgra. Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected.
If consumers have any of this Peter Pan or Great Value brand peanut butter in their home that has been purchased since May 2006, they should discard it.
Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Individuals who have recently eaten Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 and have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities.
FDA's warning is based on a just-completed epidemiological study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the states and local health agencies, which links 288 cases of foodborne illness in 39 states to consumption of varying types of Peter Pan peanut butter. This report was provided to FDA on February 13.
The outbreak appears to be ongoing and the first consumer may have become ill in August 2006. The cause of foodborne illnesses can be difficult to identify. As a result of extensive epidemiological testing and recent case control studies, CDC was recently able to identify Peter Pan peanut butter as the likely cause of illness. Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 is manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter and, thus, is believed to be at similar risk of contamination.
ConAgra is recalling all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 that already was distributed. The company also is destroying all affected products in their possession. The company will cease production until the exact cause of contamination can be identified and eliminated. ConAgra will advise consumers to destroy any Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 in their possession. To assist in this endeavor, FDA has sent investigators to ConAgra's processing plant in Sylvester, Georgia where the products are made to review records, collect product samples and conduct tests for Salmonella Tennessee.
FDA will provide regular updates as more information becomes available.
Consumers who have questions should contact ConAgra at 866-344-6970.
Thanks for the post...I just threw out 5 jars.
My daughter and two of my GC stayed with us for about two months. She went grocery shopping right before she moved out and got the kids snacks, including PB. I just looked at the code numbers....2111 is on the lid.
Hubby checked our storage PB, it's all Skippy and Jif.
Can't you return them?
There goes all my peanut butter.
I have one of each, Peter Pan and Great Value. They both start with 2111.
I am taking the jars back to the local Walmart and with the FDA warning. [Printed copy]
Better take a look at this.
Dad got violently sick on Sunday with what appeared to be food poisoning. We were all baffled, because we had all eaten the same thing. I just checked the cupboard and there's a jar of Peter Pan with the matching product code.
He had eaten the peanut butter that day.
I prefer my peanut butter with salmonella. It really helps with weight loss, and encourages water consumption.
Think, ConAgra does not want the loss = money.
Let us know how it goes by July 4th.
ping
That's what is looks like, doesn't it?
Just checked..My jar has 2111..Thank you!
My GV jar has 2111 also, as the beginning of the code.
Great Value is the Walmart brand, I'm sure we'll be hearing some more hate-speech about WM because of this!
Smuckers Organic PB is the absolute best. Too much sugar in the others!
We have three unopened jars and one opened bulk container with that code. No one has been ill from the opened container, but we won't be taking any risks with the others. It's a pity that there's not an affordable home testing kit for salmonella, so that food wouldn't be wasted.
Hope your dad is doing better now--he needs to be seen by a doctor, just in case!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.