ATLANTA—In light of the recent Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 500 people and caused six deaths, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are advising consumers to avoid eating other peanut butter-containing products until information becomes available about whether that product may be affected.
The agencies also are warning consumers to not eat recalled products and to throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating them. It also is asking manufacturers to inform consumers whether or not their products could contain peanut butter or peanut paste from Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which is at the heart of the investigation.
PCA is a peanut-processing company and maker of peanut butter for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies. Last week it announced a voluntary recall of peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Ga., processing facility because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. All product affected was produced on or after July 1, 2008, specific to the lot numbers and descriptions listed below. The recalled peanut butter is sold by PCA in bulk packaging to distributors for institutional and food-service industry use.
