Peanut Butter Recall: Why is it Being Ignored?

[wadesgirl]

Is anyone else a little mad that the peanut butter recall isn't getting as much attention as it should? I heard about it a few days back and then nothing else. Until I was talking to my sister this week. 4 out of her 5 kids had been sick, she figured it was the flu. Until we started talking about the peanut butter crackers I know her kids eat all the time. She had not heard a thing about it so I dug a little deeper for her. Sure enough the ones she had at home were the Keebler ones that are being recalled. Luckily if that was the problem, the kids weren't that sick and for not very long!

But in the paper yesterday, it was on the last page of the main section. Don't you think it should be getting more coverage if it's killing people????

I also wanted to bring it up just in case anyone on here had not heard about it.

 

[gailz2]

Whenever I turn on the news on TV they talk about the peanut butter and peanut paste product recall, a lot. They are saying now not to eat any products made from peanut butter. They aren't sure that the major brands are affected, but I guess time will tell on that.It will be harder to feed my grandkids lunch every day as their favorite is PB&J. Since you have internet access, you should look up all you can about the recall.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

We have an open jar of organic peanut butter - and we will continue to eat it. We've been eating it all week, and no one is sick, so I'm not really concerned.

They said that the peanut butter in question isn't anything that has been sold in grocery stores as peanut butter - it's been sold to companies for use in products containing PB, and also for institutional use. So, I don't think people need to panic and throw away the peanut butter in their cupboards! (especially if you've been using it right along w/o being sick.)

 

[wadesgirl]

We have an open jar of organic peanut butter - and we will continue to eat it. We've been eating it all week, and no one is sick, so I'm not really concerned.

They said that the peanut butter in question isn't anything that has been sold in grocery stores as peanut butter - it's been sold to companies for use in products containing PB, and also for institutional use. So, I don't think people need to panic and throw away the peanut butter in their cupboards! (especially if you've been using it right along w/o being sick.)

Yes, peanut butter itself is fine (for now!). They are saying it's anything using peanut butter paste or like in ice cream. It's the "bulk" peanut butter that is sold to other companies to assist in making their products.

 

[gailz2]

Institutions should not be using their peanut butter. See this note below from the AARP Newsletter. The testing confirmed what state officials suspected on Friday when they announced that salmonella in an opened tub of peanut butter was the same strain as the bug the sickened 30 Minnesotans, including one elderly woman with a complicating health problems who died. The latest testing confirmed that it has the same genetic fingerprint as the bug that has sickened people nationwide since September.On Sunday the King Nut Co. of Solon, Ohio, said it voluntarily asked customers to stop selling King Nut and another brand, Parnell's Pride, both of which are marketed nationally to institutions such as nursing homes, hospitals and schools. In Minnesota, distributors are pulling the peanut butter tubs from cafeterias, said Heidi Kassenborg, director of the state agriculture department's dairy and food division."This is not something you get in a grocery store," she said. "This product could be in institutions with some pretty vulnerable populations, people who are ill and children."

 

[pamperedlinda]

It's been getting good attention here - could be because the peanut butter processing plant is located in GA.

 

[wadesgirl]

Institutions should not be using their peanut butter. See this note below from the AARP Newsletter.

The testing confirmed what state officials suspected on Friday when they announced that salmonella in an opened tub of peanut butter was the same strain as the bug the sickened 30 Minnesotans, including one elderly woman with a complicating health problems who died. The latest testing confirmed that it has the same genetic fingerprint as the bug that has sickened people nationwide since September.

On Sunday the King Nut Co. of Solon, Ohio, said it voluntarily asked customers to stop selling King Nut and another brand, Parnell's Pride, both of which are marketed nationally to institutions such as nursing homes, hospitals and schools. In Minnesota, distributors are pulling the peanut butter tubs from cafeterias, said Heidi Kassenborg, director of the state agriculture department's dairy and food division.

"This is not something you get in a grocery store," she said. "This product could be in institutions with some pretty vulnerable populations, people who are ill and children."

I remember ONE news story talking about large quanities of peanut butter - any where from 5 to 100 pound containers!

 

[Fluffy215]

It is getting tons of coverage here too. My husband eats a PB sandwhich every day for lunch, he does not like jelly so just PB, and he has not had any problems. They are saying here not to eat the PB from institutions such as schools, nursing homes, hospitals. prisons, or any PB "products" such as crackers because the "products" tend to use the institutional brands and they have fear some of the contamination is will be in these "products"

 

[wadesgirl]

Here's an article on our local news channel website. This is the biggest article I've seen so far on this.

Hy-Vee has voluntarily recalled peanut butter products made in their bakeries in seven states.

The recall follows a Food and Drug Administration warning that consumers should avoid eating cookies, ice cream and similar products that contain peanut butter until the government knows more about possible salmonella contamination.

Officials are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at a Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America.

Its peanut butter is not sold directly to consumers but distributed to institutions and food companies including Hy-Vee.

Hy-Vee would not speak with KCCI on camera, but sent a news release listing the items that consumers should destroy or return to the store for a refund.

They are: Peanut Butter Cookies, Monster Cookies, Peanut Butter Reese’s Pieces Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lunchbox Reese’s Pieces Cookies, Lunchbox Peanut Butter Cookies, People Chow Party Mix and Assorted Truffle Fudge. All sell-by dates are included in this recall. The products are sold in various packaging and quantities and have a Hy-Vee price label attached.

Federal health officials said Saturday that the outbreak has affected more than 470 people in 43 states so far. The contamination may be linked to six deaths.

According to the Hy-Vee news release, "the identified items, sold in all Hy-Vee stores in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota, have not been directly linked to the salmonella outbreak and there have been no reported cases of the illness."

The statement said customers with questions should call their local store. Find links to Hy-Vee phone numbers on KCCI.com under Newslinks.

-KELLOGG RECALL-

Kellogg is also recalling snack food. The recall includes Austin, Famous Amos and Keebler brands. The recalls include Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, as well as snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.

Kellogg is recalling 16 peanut butter products because of a salmonella outbreak.

According to the Kellogg Web site the following items have been recalled:

Austin® Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes.

Austin® Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes.

Austin® Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes.

Austin® Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches - all sizes.

Austin® Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers.

Austin® Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes.

Austin® Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes.

Austin® Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.

Austin® Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.

Austin® Quality Foods Cookie/Cracker Pack.

Austin® Quality Foods Variety Pack.

Keebler® Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes.

Keebler® Toast & PB'n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers - all sizes.

Keebler® Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes.

Famous Amos® Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce).

Keebler® Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce).

 

[babywings76]

Wow! This is the first I've heard of this! Thanks for posting!

 

[wadesgirl]

Wow! This is the first I've heard of this! Thanks for posting!

See what I'm talking about! Peanut butter and/or peanut butter by products are a staple in most homes! I remember hearing a lot more about the spinach and tomato scare but imagine how many children eat some kind of peanut butter!

 

[chefsteph07]

Well, I can't believe anyone who hasn't heard about this, it's all over the internet news as well...
It's been on our news every day for like a week as well..we don't get the paper so I don't know about that one...
Maybe you should check CNN news online or Yahoo or something daily so you can get the latest news in general...That's kind of what I do...

 

[wadesgirl]

Well, I can't believe anyone who hasn't heard about this, it's all over the internet news as well...
It's been on our news every day for like a week as well..we don't get the paper so I don't know about that one...
Maybe you should check CNN news online or Yahoo or something daily so you can get the latest news in general...That's kind of what I do...

But even on CNN, it's not any where that is really noticeable. That's what I was talking about. You either have to go to their health section or click on the link that is at the bottom part of the page. I usually never look at any of these parts.

 

[babywings76]

But see, I don't get the paper. I don't watch too much local news. We DVR everything, so we skip commercials and those 2 second news blurbs. So maybe I just missed it. But I am always like this and I usually still hear about things through the little bits of news blurbs I hear now and then. Plus I usually hear about stuff online. My DH watches all the Sunday news programs, and they are all about politics, so we feel like we know what's going on, but we miss local news a lot.

 

[babywings76]

My DH works with a lot of people and usually knows all about what's going on, and he hasn't mentioned this either. --Not saying he is all-knowing, but he works with a lot of women and treats lots of patients and chit chats with everyone about news. They discuss lots of news and local info or whatever with him.

 

[SusanBP0129]

It was on Page 6 of my local paper...In the "Your World" section...
Awful.
I would not have know had I not received an email about it from a friend.

 

[lauradahl]

Well, I can't believe anyone who hasn't heard about this, it's all over the internet news as well...
It's been on our news every day for like a week as well..we don't get the paper so I don't know about that one...
Maybe you should check CNN news online or Yahoo or something daily so you can get the latest news in general...That's kind of what I do...

I can! It's entirely possible that people don't get the paper....we don't. It's entirely possible that people don't watch TV for whatever reason....time/access/beliefs/$$$ (we are so rural, we don't get a local channel signal). I have neighbors who don't get the paper, don't have TV in their home, and have dial up internet (so who has for for THAT) for example. I stay in constant contact with her and her family just for reasons like this. Some of us have the luxury of being "informed" and it can be taken for granted that everyone does. That is just not the case. Thanks for this thread to help the info get out there! Tell your friends, neighbors and everyone who can be affected!

 

[Crystal Patton]

My DH husband told me Sun morning. He is in ND and we talk every night, but Thurs night we missed each other, Friday night I had a show and Sat was Mom's Night Out with my local MOPS group. We don't have network broadcasting and we don't get the local paper. I usually just jump online to read stuff, I finally saw something about it on the revolving flashes on MSN's home page yesterday afternoon. My oldest son lives on PB and I was soo happy we were still eating the last of the PB we got through the WIC program 2 years ago.
I agree it needs more media attention. But you guys are my life line to 'the outside world'.

 

[raebates]

It's gotten a lot of air time compared to most news. I think it's just suffering because the focus is all on the inauguration. The peanut butter story is simply being stuffed in wherever they have a few seconds to spare. And, while I know that the jars of peanut butter on my grocery shelf isn't included, I found it funny that yesterday the commercial immediately following the peanut butter story was for Jiff. Just found it ironic.

 

[chefsteph07]

I can! It's entirely possible that people don't get the paper....we don't. It's entirely possible that people don't watch TV for whatever reason....time/access/beliefs/$$$ (we are so rural, we don't get a local channel signal). I have neighbors who don't get the paper, don't have TV in their home, and have dial up internet (so who has for for THAT) for example. I stay in constant contact with her and her family just for reasons like this. Some of us have the luxury of being "informed" and it can be taken for granted that everyone does. That is just not the case. Thanks for this thread to help the info get out there! Tell your friends, neighbors and everyone who can be affected!

I don't get the paper either, but I browse all the news sections online and I did see a few things on TV about it, maybe it's not getting as much attention around the country? I don't know...but, I'm surprised that you guys didn't know about this!

If you see PB crackers at the store, you should ask if they are ok to purchase, I just heard last night they arer pulling Little Debbie snacks made w/ PB as well...

We can't eat anything nowadays can we? I'm sure this summer there will be a tomato, salad, something recall that we won't be able to eat either...sad, really...

 

[Crystal Patton]

I don't get the paper either, but I browse all the news sections online and I did see a few things on TV about it, maybe it's not getting as much attention around the country? I don't know...but, I'm surprised that you guys didn't know about this!

If you see PB crackers at the store, you should ask if they are ok to purchase, I just heard last night they arer pulling Little Debbie snacks made w/ PB as well...

We can't eat anything nowadays can we? I'm sure this summer there will be a tomato, salad, something recall that we won't be able to eat either...sad, really...

Man I hear you! I'm very happy to be home from being on the road with my DH for two years. I can finally plant my garden again! Whoo-hoo! Our garden is larger in square footage than our house LOL

 

[Crystal Patton]

Here is the listing of all recalled porducts as of 1-21-09

 

[Jennie4PC]

Amanda,
This is the 1st I have heard about it also. Maybe I am in my own little world who knows.
We dont eat a lot of PB here since the last recall, me and my son both got sick from the PB and it has turned my kids off from it.

 

[gailz2]

Here is the listing of all recalled porducts as of 1-21-09

Thank you for sharing this complete list (so far, that is).

 

[AZPampered Chef]

So I have some of the products on the list....does anyone know if we can take these back to the store for a refund?

 

[candiejayne]

I didn't hear about this until I read it on here. None of us like peanut butter, so the only jar in the house is older. My BFs DD eats it, but I bought it long before any of this came up. I guess though, by reading this, its not the jars, but other things.

 

[raebates]

I just hope they get this cleared up soon. As Bill Cosby said, "Man cannot live by bread alone. He needs peanut butter."

 

[Jessamary]

I hope people (on here and out there in the RW) know that the CDC has said numerous times that it's NOT the peanut butter sold individually on grocery shelves...Skippy, Jif, Peter Pan, etc. My mom insists she "heard it somewhere" that it's all PB. She about had a coronary when I said I was making peanut butter sandwiches for my kids for lunch.

Don't you just love Moms? Her golden years are going to be a treat for both of us.

 

[Get_Pampered]

Thanks for posting this - I did not know. I have watched the morning news the past few days but that is it. I watch news sparingly. Maybe with the inauguration, it got cut from media attention.

 

[chefsteph07]

Here's the latest news on this...


125 products recalled in salmonella outbreak

Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:04 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 125 products have been recalled in a salmonella-and-peanuts investigation that keeps getting bigger, federal health officials said yesterday.

The list ranges from goodies like cookies and ice cream to energy bars. Even food for pooches may not be entirely safe, with a national company recalling some of its dog treats.

On Tuesday, PetSmart recalled seven kinds of its Grreat Choice dog biscuits. On Wednesday, the weight loss company NutriSystem issued a recall for peanut butter granola bars. And some Asian foods made with peanut sauces are starting to turn up on the recalls list.

Last week, Kellogg recalled some of its Austin and Keebler brand peanut butter crackers. Salmonella was later confirmed in a package of Austin crackers.

At least 486 people in more than 40 states, including Ohio, have gotten sick since a salmonella outbreak began in the fall. Six have died.

To help consumers, the Food and Drug Administration has set up on its Web site a searchable database of recalled peanut products. “We expect (the) number to continue to increase,” said Stephen Sundlof, head of the FDA’s food safety program. No major brands of peanut butter sold in jars are implicated.

Peanut butter is not normally thought of as a high-risk product for salmonella. The bacteria, a frequent source of food poisoning, is supposed to be killed off in the roasting process.

In this investigation, the common denominator is that all the products contain peanut paste or peanut butter made at a Peanut Corp. of America plant in Blakely, Ga.

Originally the problem appeared limited to peanut butter shipped in big tubs to institutional customers like nursing homes. But then peanut paste was implicated. Made from ground roasted peanuts, it is used as an ingredient in dozens of other products sold directly to consumers.

Investigators found salmonella contamination at the PCA plant, which has suspended production. In one of the curious twists in the investigation, the salmonella strain at the plant is not an exact match to the one that has gotten people sick, the FDA said. However, the outbreak strain has been positively identified in a sample from an unopened jar of peanut produced at the Georgia plant.

Sundlof suggested it doesn’t much matter whether health authorities get a perfect match at the plant. “Having salmonella in the plant is not supposed to happen,” he said. “Regardless of whether it’s the outbreak strain or not, that represents a violation.”

Salmonella has been found in a floor crack and on the floor near a wall where pallets are stored, he said.

The manufacturer said it is cooperating with the investigation, but has received nothing in writing from health investigators to document their findings. “We trust that at some point they will share this with us and PCA will respond accordingly,” said a company statement.

Although PCA is a small company, it lists more than 70 food companies as its customers. “Peanut paste is used in a huge variety of other foods,” said Dr. Robert Tauxe, who is directing the investigation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A noted food safety scientist said manufacturers have to be careful that peanuts don’t get contaminated after roasting. That’s partly because peanut butter itself can’t be heated to kill the bacteria without making it unpalatable to eat.

“Once the salmonella gets into the peanut butter, you are not going to kill it,” said Michael Doyle, head of the University of Georgia’s food safety center. “What the processor has to rely on is the roasting process. That’s a critical control point.”

After roasting, peanuts can be contaminated if they somehow come into contact with tainted water, or if birds or rodents get into the plant. They can also be cross-contaminated by equipment that is used to handle raw ingredients. Raw peanuts can harbor salmonella, just like other agricultural products.

“If there are fork lifts in the raw ingredient area, they can’t go into the other part of the plant, because they could be bringing in untreated material,” Doyle said. Federal and state officials would not discuss details of the investigation at the Georgia plant.

The FDA’s Sundlof said it’s rare for dogs to get salmonella illness, but that their owners can pick up the bacteria by handling tainted biscuits. If people don’t wash their hands after feeding the dog, they can transfer the bacteria to human foods.

———

On the Net: FDA peanut products database: Search for Peanut Butter Product Recalls

 

[Crystal Patton]

Here is the updated, as of Jan 28th, listing. Over 400 products!!!!!!

 

[princessmeshelle]

yeah, i just got a letter yesterday from cost co asking me to return my PB crackers to the store if there were any left. i'm glad we didn't get a bad batch! i give those to my 2 yr old son for snacks! oh well, he is stuck in a fresh fruit phase right now though. so luckily i don't plan to buy any time soon...