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Companies all over the country that received product from PCA have issued voluntary recalls
of their products. To quicky identify which products are being recalled, we strongly
suggest you visit the
FDA Database.
The recall has now been expanded to include some pet food products that contain peanut
paste that was made by PCA. While the risk of animals contracting salmonellosis is
minimal, there is risk to humans from handling these products. It is especially important
for people to wash their hands and make sure children wash their hands after feeding treats
to pets. The pet food products are also included in the searchable data base of
recalled products.
Major national brands of jarred peanut butter found in grocery stores are not affected by
the PCA recall.
FDA and CDC recommendations for consumers include:
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Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them away in a manner that
prevents others from eating them.
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To determine if commercially prepared or manufactured peanut
butter/peanut paste containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and
ice cream) are subject to recall, consumers are urged first to visit FDA's website and
check the searchable database of recalled products.
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For information on products containing peanut butter from companies not
reporting recalls, consumers may wish to consult the company's website or call the
toll-free number listed on most packaging. Information consumers may receive from
the companies has not been verified by the FDA.
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If consumers cannot determine if their peanut butter, peanut butter/peanut paste
containing products or institutionally served peanut butter contains PCA peanut
butter/peanut paste, FDA recommends that they do not consume those products.
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Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised
to consult their health care providers.
Ongoing Investigation
FDA has collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
public health officials in various states to investigate the multi-state outbreak of
human infections due to Salmonella Typhimurium. An epidemiological investigation by
the Minnesota Department of Health isolated and tested samples from an open
five-pound container of King Nut peanut butter obtained at a nursing home where three
patients were sickened by the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium. The Minnesota
Health officials found the peanut butter contained the same strain of Salmonella
Typhimurium associated with the illnesses linked to the outbreak.
Because it is always possible that the open container was contaminated by someone or
something else in the environment, the FDA and the states began testing unopened containers
of the same brand of peanut butter. King Nut distributes peanut butter manufactured by
the PCA to institutional facilities, food service industries, and private label food
companies in several states.
On January 19, 2009, testing by the Connecticut Department of Health of an unopened
container of King Nut peanut butter showed that it too contained the same strain of
Salmonella Typhimurium associated with illnesses linked to the outbreak. The fact that
the Salmonella Typhimurium was confirmed in an unopened container of peanut butter
indicates that peanut butter originating from the processing plant was contaminated.
FDA has initiated inspections at the direct consignees of PCA and King Nut and continues
to follow the distribution points for products.
The FDA has no evidence to suggest that the Salmonella Typhimurium contamination
originated with any other major manufacturing facility other than PCA. The PCA facility
in Blakely, Georgia is not operating at this time and the company has recalled
product produced from July 1, 2008 to the present.
The FDA and food manufacturers are working to identify products that may be affected,
and to track the ingredient supply chain of those products to facilitate their removal
from the marketplace.
For the latest information on the outbreak and the epidemiological investigation,
including number of illnesses and a list of states reporting illnesses, go to the CDC web
page at www.cdc.gov.
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A combination of epidemiological analysis and laboratory testing by state officials
in Minnesota and Connecticut, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have enabled FDA to confirm that the sources
of the outbreak of illnesses caused by Salmonella Typhimurium are peanut butter and
peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely,
Georgia processing plant.
