FDA Advises to Avoid Peanut Butter Products

WASHINGTON, DC - Sunday, January 18, 2009 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday advised consumers to avoid eating any product containing peanut butter or peanut paste until it can determine how many products have been contaminated. The FDA said it was not including jars of peanut butter sold in grocery stores, only products that were made with peanut butter, such as crackers.

“We are urging people not to eat products that have peanut butter until we have better information and they can make an informed choice,” said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Already more than 450 people have been poisoned, and five people have died, as the result on of a Salmonella outbreak. A sixth death may be linked to the outbreak. The FDA said Friday its investigators found contamination in a Blakely, Georgia peanut-processing plant owned by Lynchburg, Virginia-based Peanut Corporation of America but had not confirmed the contamination at the plant is the same strain that caused the Salmonella outbreak.

The plant, which employees about 50 people, suspended operations this week while investigators look for clues. The Atlanta-based Centers For Disease Control and Prevention is analyzing the evidence gathered by FDA inspectors. The FDA said Friday it is also investigating at least one peanut grower, but did not release more information.

In the processing of peanuts for peanut butter, the peanuts are roasted to about 350 degrees, which normally would kill any kind of Salmonella contamination, said Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, which has been monitoring the crisis since the outbreak was revealed about a week ago. “I think they would be looking at a post-roaster issue,” said Koehler. Peanut Corporation of America on Friday expanded its recall of peanut butter for bulk distribution which is believed to be the source of the contamination.

Previously, the company recalled 21 lots of peanut butter produced on or after July 1, 2008. The company expanded it Friday to a voluntary recall of all peanut butter produced on or after August 8, 2008, and peanut paste produced on or after September 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).