Category: recalls

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.

Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter ‘Likely Source’ of Salmonella Outbreak

Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter is a “likely source” of 29 cases of Salmonella Bredeney infections in 18 states, according to CDC. Four people have been hospitalized.

The earliest reported onset date was June 11, 2012; the most recent illness emerged on September 2nd. Most of the illnesses developed during July and August.

Illnesses that occurred after August 29, 2012 might not have been reported yet, due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the cause of the illness is confirmed and reported. Three-fourths (76%) of the confirmed outbreak victims are children under 18 years of age; nearly two-thirds are male.

CDC has not released a list of affected states; however, some of the states have issued their own Alerts. These include:

The link between this outbreak and the peanut butter is based on patient interviews. Fourteen out of fourteen outbreak victims who were interviewed reported shopping at Trader Joe’s across the USA; twelve of the 14 (86%) reported eating Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt in the week before becoming ill.

Although the outbreak strain has not yet been found in a sample of the implicated peanut butter, Trader Joe’s has removed all Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt (16-oz plastic jars; SKU #97111) from sale in its stores, and has recalled all code dates of the peanut butter. The product was sold in Trader Joe’s stores nationwide and over the internet.

CDC has issued 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.

USDA Issues Public Health Alert – What Took So Long?

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced a Public Health Alert for raw boneless beef trim products imported from Canada that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

According to the FSIS News Release,

“FSIS testing of raw boneless beef trim product from Canadian Establishment 38, XL Foods, Inc., confirmed positive for E. coli O157:H7 on September 3, 2012. FSIS alerted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) of the positive results. After follow-up testing by FSIS and CFIA, the CFIA announced a recall by XL Foods, Inc. of a variety of ground beef products on September 16, 2012. Subsequently, the CFIA has expanded the scope of the recall to include additional products.”

The products were distributed to US establishments in California, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Some of the recalled beef trim may have been further processed into products such as ground beef, ground beef patties, beef jerky and pastrami. FSIS is working with US customers of XL Foods to determine the final destination of all the affected meat. The agency promises to issue a retail distribution list – but not a list of food service or institutional consignees – as soon as the information is available.

eFoodAlert first broke the news of the US connection on September 17th, after US Foods posted the first of two recall notices for the benefit of its food service customers. By then, the Kroger Company already had notified its customers of a recall of KRO Ground Beef 73% (3-lb pkgs), due to contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled meat was sold in Kroger stores in Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, OH, parts of Indiana, Illinois and eastern Missouri. Jay C, Food4Less and FoodsCo stores also were named in the Kroger recall.

I have to ask – Why did FSIS take so long to issue this Public Health Alert? The information contained in today’s News Release was already known to the US industry as early as September 16th. What purpose did it serve to hold off alerting the general public to this problem?

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been unusually forthcoming with information on retail distribution of the recalled beef in Canada. A current consolidated list can be found at the Canada/USA Ground Beef Recall tab. I’ll be updating the recall information at that location to include both Canadian and US recall announcements as these are issued.

While no illnesses have apparently been reported either in Canada or the USA in association with this recall, FSIS offers the following information for consumers:

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160° F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.