More Than 200 Peanut Butter Products Now Under Recall

Jan. 24 -- FRIDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- More than 200 peanut butter and peanut paste products from at least 38 companies have been recalled so far in the ongoing salmonella outbreak, according to the latest count posted Friday on the U.S. health department's Web site.

As the number of people sickened approaches 500 in 43 states and Canada, the scope of the problem is being rapidly revealed in such continually climbing numbers.

• Peanut Corp of America, whose now-closed Georgia production plant was the source of the salmonella, has issued a recall for at least 6,255 pounds of peanut butter and peanut paste sold in bulk, according to a company news release.
• The company distributed potentially contaminated product to more than 70 firms, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report Thursday.
• The product recalls translate so far into an estimated 31 million pounds of peanut butter and peanut paste products, according to an Associated Press report Friday.
• The scramble for safety is set against this: Americans eat 700 million pounds of peanut butter every year, according to the National Peanut Board.

While jars of peanut butter on store shelves appear to be safe, many other products made with peanut butter or peanut paste have been recalled across the country.

That's because Peanut Corp. sells its peanut butter and peanut paste in bulk containers "for use as an ingredient in hundreds of different products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream," the FDA said.

The recalled products range from cookie dough to candy and nutrition bars and also dog biscuits.

However, there is also a growing list of companies reporting that their products containing peanut butter are safe. Girl Scouts USA, the Hershey Co. and Kraft Foods Inc. are telling consumers their foods haven't been affected by the salmonella scare, the New York Daily News reported Friday.

In addition, ConAgra, which was involved in a major Peter Pan brand salmonella recall two years ago, as well as J. M. Smucker, of Orville, Ohio, and Russell Stover Candies Inc. also reported their products were safe.