(Image Credit: ABC News)

National grocery chain Trader Joe's is voluntarily recalling peanut butter that has been linked to 29 salmonella cases in 18 states.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we have removed all Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter from sale, due to pending health-related inquiries," Trader Joe's said in a statement.

An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control determined the peanut butter was the likely source of the outbreak. Officials from the FDA and CDC briefed Trader Joe's on Thursday, prompting the grocer to voluntarily recall the product, the FDA said in a statement issued Saturday.

The list of states that reported the illnesses was not released, but the state health departments in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and North Carolina reported cases, according to The Associated Press.

Anyone with the product is encouraged to either return it to Trader Joe's for a full refund or dispose of it.

Salmonella causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain 12 to 72 hours after infection. Young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are most at risk to developing severe infections.