Alert: Peanut Butter Panic
Across the U.S. (43 states and 500 people, to be exact), peanut butter products are being checked due to a possible salmonella outbreak. Over 165 products have been recalled (a number that grows as you read this), and families all over are reading labels extra carefully as they shop.
So how do you avoid a potentially sticky situation?
First, don’t panic! Not all peanut butter products have been contaminated. The experts at the FDA and Centers for Disease Control have determined that the outbreak originated from one manufacturer, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which has a plant in Blakely, Georgia. The good news? PCA doesn’t sell directly to consumers, so your jars of plain peanut butter should be fine. But products made with the peanut paste produced from PCA are at risk, including cookies, crackers, cereals, ice cream, candies, and pet foods. Major companies such as Keebler, Clif Bars, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s have all been affected by product recalls.
To find out if your favorite foods are on the suspect list, search the FDA’s list of recalled products. If you’re not sure about a certain product, the FDA recommends you omit it from your family’s diet for the time being.
–Sara Sugar, KIWI intern
Tags: peanut butter, recall, salmonella
January 28th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Did you know it’s super easy to make your own peanut butter? I wrote a post about it with links to recipes: http://mindfulmomma.typepad.com/mindful_momma/2009/01/homemade-peanut-butter-anyone.html