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 ping. I double checked and we have Jif brand.
Thanks for the ping. I just checked and discovered that I have an almost empty jar of this that we've been using for 2 months now. Seems okay. No one's been sick.
Prayers for your friends.
Just called my son and asked him to check the number on his peanut butter. It was the right number. He has already eaten alot of it.
LOL - it looks like it eats THEM...
Ooops! Just went and looked at our nearly empty peanut butter and it's one being recalled. Thank goodness it wasn't one with the problem because I'm having a difficult recovery from stomach surgery from last June. (I now weigh a grand total of 81 pounds!)
MANY MANY FReepers have LOTS of these coded peanut butter jars at home. Please check yours to be on the safe side (and tell everyone you know!), and if you already knew about this alert, apologies!
We have a 6 lb. can of Peter Pan peanut butter in the pantry that is half gone. Just for grins I went and checked the product code and it was 2111. We have not been ill at all, but I will throw it away immediately.
Where do you find the number? We have two jars and I couldn't see the code or I just missed it. One hasn't been opened and the other one is 3/4 done. We're probably safe with that one. M
Trouble is, you get all pooped out afterwards.
All three of my sons had salmonella poisoning after thanksgiving one year. One ended up having his appendix out because of the swelling in the nodes, etc. Lots of puking and diarrhea with this one. The health department called on us. None of the adults had it so I'm thinking it was the milk.
It was on Fox yesterday, I believe.
Inside or outside? Nothing on the outside of mine but there's a Tab 12B on the inside. Hmm.
Isn't Wegman's wonderful? Is yours the one in Rochester? We shop in Syracuse. Best produce around.
Mine either. There's a Tab 12B on the inside but nothing else.
Those avoiding trans fats get a pass on this one.
Me, too, but I've been fine. Nothing unusual anyway.
My wife has me on Smart Balance Peanut Butter.
Lowers you're cholesterol and don't taste bad.
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