FDA Confirms Salmonella Outbreak Strain At Sunland Facility

FDA announced today (October 13th) that it has confirmed a genetic match between the strain of Salmonella Bredeney that has sickened 35 persons and the strain that the agency recovered from Sunland Inc.‘s nut butter production environment in Portales, New Mexico.

In addition, FDA recovered Salmonella from the environment of a separate building where peanuts are processed, and from raw peanuts sampled in that building. Yesterday, Sunland expanded its previous recalls yet again to include raw and roasted shelled and in-shell peanuts. The company has ceased production and distribution of all products from both its nut butter facility and its peanut processing facility.

CDC first reported the outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney illnesses on September 22nd. At that time, epidemiological evidence pointed to Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt as the likely source of the outbreak. Subsequent tests carried out by the Washington State Department of Agriculture recovered the outbreak strain from an opened jar of Trader Joe’s Valencia Cream Peanut Butter collected from the home of an outbreak victim.Trader Joe’s peanut and other nut butter products are manufactured by Sunland, Inc.

As of October 5th, 35 outbreak illnesses were confirmed in 19 states; eight people hospitalized; no deaths. Illness onset dates range from June 14, 2012 to September 18, 2012. Illnesses were reported by Arizona (1), California (5), Connecticut (3), Illinois (1), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (2), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Pennsylvania (2), Rhode Island (1), Texas (5), Virginia (1), and Washington (2).

Here’s what FDA had to say today:

The FDA announced that on October 12, Sunland Inc. expanded its ongoing recall to include raw and roasted shelled and in-shell peanuts sold in quantities from 2 ounces to 50 pounds which are within their current shelf life or have no stated expiration date.

Since late September, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health officials have been investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney infections linked to a peanut butter made by Sunland Inc. As part of the continuing investigation, the FDA has been inspecting the Sunland Inc. production facilities, including a building in which peanuts are processed and a separate building in which nut butters are made. FDA testing has found the presence of Salmonella in raw peanuts from the peanut processing facility. Environmental samples taken from this building also show the presence of Salmonella. Environmental samples are samples taken from various surfaces in the production or manufacturing facility that would likely harbor bacteria.

Additionally, FDA analysis has confirmed that environmental samples showing the presence of Salmonella in Sunland’s nut butter facility have a DNA fingerprint that is the same as the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney.

Sunland Inc. reports that it has ceased the production and distribution of all products from both its nut butter facility and its peanut processing facility.

Sunland raw and roasted peanuts available to retail customers are distributed primarily under the company’s own label and were distributed primarily to produce houses and nationally to numerous large supermarket, grocery and retail chains. The products also were available for purchase on the internet.

A list of all products being recalled by Sunland Inc. can be found in the company’s recall announcement.

Consumers should not eat the recalled products. This is especially important for children under the age of 5 years, elderly adults, and people with weak immune systems.

The latest recall expansion already is triggering an additional series of secondary and tertiary recalls as Sunland’s customers scramble to pull foods containing the recalled peanuts and nut butters off the market. eFoodAlert’s Trader Joe’s/Sunland Peanut Butter Recall page will be updated to reflect the additional recalls.

Tenderized Beef Sickens 4 In Canada

Four Edmontonians became ill with E. coli O157:H7 after consuming Kirkland brand Strip Loin Grilling Steaks purchased from Costco Wholesale store #156 in Edmonton, Alberta. The beef originated from XL Foods processing plant in Brooks, Alberta.

CBC News reports that Alberta Health Services confirmed the connection after testing a steak provided by one of the outbreak victims. Officials are suggesting that the pathogen may have been introduced into the meat during a tenderizing process that is used by Costco stores in Alberta.

The steaks implicated in the four illnesses were identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as Strip Loin Grilling Steak prepared and sold in variable weight packages from Costco Wholesale store #156, located at 13650, 50th street, Edmonton, Alberta, bearing Packed On dates 12/SE/04, 12/SE/05, 12/SE/06 or 12/SE/07. At the moment, only steaks from this one Costco store are affected.

No direct link has been established between the illnesses and the XL Foods plant that supplied the beef.

XL Food’s Brooks processing facility is the source of meat that has been under a steadily expanding series of recall notices across Canada, and a series of Public Health Alerts in the USA. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service detected E. coli O157:H7 in beef trimmings from XL Foods that were shipped from Canada to the USA.

There is no indication, either in the CBC report or from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, as to whether the outbreak strain recovered from the steak in Edmonton is the same as the strain of E. coli O157:H7 found in XL’s beef trimmings.

For a consolidated list of beef products affected by the XL Foods recall, and information on retail distribution in Canada and the USA, please consult the Canada/USA Beef Recall tab.

Peanut Butter Recall – Not Just Trader Joe’s

Sunland, Inc., the manufacturer of Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter, has recalled all of its Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012.

The recall was initiated, according to the company’s news release, after Sunland learned of the link between its product and 29 cases of Salmonella Bredeney illnesses in 18 states.

Jimmie Shearer, President and CEO of Sunland, Inc. issued the following statement:

“There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter everyday. While FDA, CDC, and State Health Agencies investigate to confirm the cause of illnesses reported, as a precautionary step, we have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012. If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it.”

The following brands of Peanut Butter and Almond butter are affected: Archer Farms, Earth Balance, fresh & easy, heinen’s, Joseph’s, Natural Value, Naturally More, Open Nature, Peanut Power, Serious Food, Snaclite, Sprouts Farmers Market, Sprout’s, Sunland, and Trader Joe’s. Read the news release, which includes a complete list of recalled products.

Illnesses caused by the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney have been documented in the following nineteen states, although not all of the cases are firmly linked to consumption of peanut butter. This information was amassed from the Sunland news release, alerts issued by various states, and information provided to eFoodAlert by email.

Arizona
California – 2 cases
Connecticut – 3 cases
Illinois – 1 case in McLean County with onset in August
Louisiana
Maryland – 1 case. A child under 18 years old, who was not hospitalized and who has recovered
Massachusetts – 3 cases
Michigan
Minnesota – 1 case
Missouri
New York – 1 case in New York City
North Carolina – 1 case (a child)
Pennsylvania – 2 cases
Nevada – 1 case in Clark County
New Jersey
Rhode Island – 1 case
Texas – 4 cases
Virginia
Washington – 2 cases, both male; a child (under 12 years old) from Thurston County and a teen (under 18 years old) from Spokane County

CDC reported on September 22nd that the earliest illness onset date for this outbreak was June 11, 2012; the most recent was September 2nd. Three-fourths (76%) of the outbreak victims are children under 18 years old; two-thirds are male. Four people have been hospitalized.

CDC offers the following Advice to Consumers, Retailers and Others

Contaminated Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter may make people sick.

Based on available information, CDC recommends that consumers do not eat recalled Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt and dispose of any remaining jars of this peanut butter product in the home or return the jars to any Trader Joe’s grocery store.
- This is especially important for children under the age of 5 years, older adults, and people with weak immune systems.
Persons who think they might have become ill from eating possibly contaminated Trader Joe’s peanut butter should consult their health care providers.
- Symptoms include:
  - Diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection.
  - The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment.
  - See Signs and Symptoms for more information.

Contaminated Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter may still be in consumers’ homes or available for sale on the internet.

Consumers who recently purchased recalled Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt are advised not to eat it and dispose of any remaining jars of this peanut butter or return the jars to the any Trader Joe’s grocery store.
Trader Joe’s has encouraged consumers to return the product to any Trader Joe’s grocery store for a full refund.
Retailers and food service operators should not sell or serve recalled Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt.
This product may still be available for sale from internet retailers.

What to do if you have Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter in your home:

Dispose of the product immediately or return it to any Trader Joe’s grocery store.
Even if some of the peanut butter has been eaten without anyone becoming ill, the rest of the peanut butter should be disposed of or returned.
If consumers choose to discard Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt, the product should be disposed of in a closed plastic bag and placed in a sealed trash can. This will prevent people or animals from eating it.