As Seen On TV: Consumer Peanut Recall Guide
Learn which peanut butter products have been recalled due to salmonella.
Feb. 6, 2009— -- Federal officials Friday said a Georgia peanut plant shipped products it knew were contaminated with salmonella. The FDA made the revelation after going through the records of the Peanut Corporation of America, which is under criminal investigation. According to the Centers for Disease Control, at least 575 illnesses and 8 deaths are linked to the salmonella outbreak, which is prompting an ever-growing list of recalls. Find out which foods remain safe to eat and what has been affected.
Hundreds of popular brands are announcing voluntary recalls. House of Spices is recalling boxes of Laxmi hot & spicy peanuts that had the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. J.J. Kelly Snacks is also voluntarily recalling a variety of snack mix products that contain peanuts.
Other brands that have added their name to the recall list as recently as today are: Belfonte's ice cream products, Nature's original snack mixes, Huckleberry Haven's chocolate covered peanut products, and hundreds more.
The FDA keeps an updated list of tainted products on its Web site. You can also search by product type and brand, or UPC Code, to see what peanut butter products have issued recalls.
The Food and Drug Administration has told consumers to avoid eating food containing peanut butter unless they know the product is not contaminated. For more answers, visit the FDA's Frequently Asked Questions page, with information for families, retailers and restaurants.
PetSmart has voluntarily recalled seven different kinds of its Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits because the ingredients include peanut paste from the Georgia processing plant believed to be the source of the salmonella outbreak. For more information on the PetSmart recall, visit the company's Web site, where you can see if a particular box of dog biscuits is involved by checking against the bar code on the box. The company will refund any recalled purchases.
With recall after recall, popular brands of products, including popular brands such as Little Debbie, Keebler, Kroger, Famous Amos, General Mills and Club Foods, may no longer be safe. NutriSystem announced Wednesday a recall of its Peanut Butter Granola bars.
Only seven states remain free of salmonella reports: Montana, Alaska, New Mexico, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina and Delaware.
The CDC warns that the salmonella investigation could take time. Click here for more information about salmonella outbreaks and to learn more about the long-term consequences of a salmonella infection.