Jif peanut butter recall announced due to salmonella concerns
Health officials are investigating an outbreak of salmonella in several states that they believe is linked to certain Jif peanut butter products.
The Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other state and local health agencies, are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg, the agency said in a statement.
As a result, JM Smucker Co. is recalling many of its Jif peanut butter products made at a Lexington, Ky., plant for possible contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
So far, 14 people in 12 states have reported illnesses linked to the outbreak, the CDC said. Two were hospitalized. All five people who contacted the CDC reported eating peanut butter, four of whom specifically ate Jif peanut butter before falling ill, the CDC said.
“Epidemiological evidence indicates that Jif brand peanut butter produced at JM Smucker Company facilities located in Lexington, KY, is the probable cause of the illnesses in this outbreak,” the FDA said.
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The release says an analysis based on an environmental sample from 2010 linked the current strain to the plant. “The FDA’s investigation is ongoing and more information will be provided as it becomes available,” the agency said.
Consumers should not eat – and restaurants and stores should not serve or sell – any of the recalled Jif peanut butter products, which were shipped nationwide. And the products have a two-year shelf life, so consumers should check which ones they have on hand, according to the FDA. The products have lot code numbers 1274425 to 2140425.
Some Jif products, with the same lot code numbers, were shipped to Canada and have also been recalled.
Neither JM Smucker Co. nor the FDA described the scope of the recall. JM Smucker immediately returned a request for comment.
The last illness was reported on May 1. States where illnesses have been reported: Arkansas, Georgia (2 cases), Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina, Texas (2), Virginia and Washington.
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Which Jif peanut butter products have been recalled?
A complete list of recalled products is available from the FDA.
If you’ve used any of the products, the FDA recommends washing and sanitizing surfaces and utensils that may have touched the peanut butter. If you or someone in your household has eaten this peanut butter and has symptoms of salmonellosis, please contact your health care provider.
Most people who get sick from salmonella develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours after infection. Patients may develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. More severe cases can include pain, headache, high fever, lethargy, rash, blood in urine or stool, and in some cases can be fatal.
The disease, called salmonellosis, usually lasts four to seven days and most recover without treatment. The CDC estimates that approximately 1.35 million people in the United States contract salmonellosis each year; about 26,500 are hospitalized and 420 die.
This isn’t the first peanut butter recall this year. In March, Skippy Foods, LLC recalled 9,353 cases or 161,692 total pounds of certain peanut butter products because they may contain small fragments of stainless steel.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
USA Today
