Cases Of Peanut Butter Salmonella Contamination. Parker Waichman LLP is currently evaluating thousands of cases of peanut butter related salmonella. If you or a loved one has eaten Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter, contact the lawyers at Parker Waichman LLP to have your case evaluated for free. Parker Waichman LLP has already […]
Cases Of Peanut Butter Salmonella Contamination. Parker Waichman LLP is currently evaluating thousands of cases of peanut butter related salmonella. If you or a loved one has eaten Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter, contact the lawyers at Parker Waichman LLP to have your case evaluated for free. Parker Waichman LLP has already filed lawsuits against Conagra Food Inc., the manufacturers of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butters, and intends to file many additional claims in the coming weeks.
U.S. health officials stated on March 1, 2007, that a bacteria linked to contaminated peanut butter that sickened hundreds of people has been traced to a plant owned by ConAgra Foods Inc. where it was made. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it discovered the salmonella bacteria during an inspection of the now shut down plant in Sylvester, Georgia that made Peter Pan brand peanut butter and the Great Value brand sold by Wal-Mart Inc.
“The fact that FDA found Salmonella in the plant environment further suggests that the contamination likely took place prior to the product reaching consumers,” the agency said. The bacteria infection can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. While it can usually be treated with antibiotics and hydration, it can cause a small number of people to develop Reiter’s syndrome that leads to painful joints and urination complications.
On February 14, 2007, the FDA warned consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of contamination with Salmonella Tennessee. The contaminated jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butters have a product code located on the lid of the jar that begins with the number 2111. ConAgra manufactures both the Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter in a single facility in Sylvester, Georgia. Great Value (a Wal-Mart brand) peanut butter made elsewhere is not affected. Consumers have been told to throw away either of these peanut butter brands if they were purchased since May 2006.
The FDA’s warning is based on a new study released on February 13, 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health agencies. The study connects 288 cases of food borne illness in 39 states to consumption of certain types of Peter Pan peanut butter. While most infections seem to be in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri, there are victims in many other states. The first illness from the current peanut butter epidemic may have come in August 2006. As a result of broad epidemiological testing and recent case control studies, the CDC was recently able to identify Peter Pan peanut butter as the likely cause of illness. The number of sick people has now risen to 329 across 41 states.
ConAgra is in the process of recalling all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 that were already distributed. The FDA has sent investigators to ConAgra’s processing plant in Sylvester, Georgia to review records, collect product samples and conduct tests for Salmonella Tennessee.
* Fever * Headache * Diarrhea * Abdominal Cramping * Vomiting and Nausea* Dehydration
In individuals with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can enter the bloodstream from the intestines and cause life-threatening infections. This infection can sometimes be treated with antibiotics. Individuals who have recently eaten Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter and have experienced any adverse symptoms should contact a physician.
Contaminated peanut butter has also been linked to Reiter’s syndrome, a reactive arthritis casused by inflammation of the joints caused by certain bacterial infections. The condition occurs after a bacteria, in this case salmonella, travels through the body to a joint or joints. The person may have already been treated for the initial infection, and there may be a delay of weeks before the symptoms of reactive arthritis show themselves. Reiter’s syndrome is said to occur when reactive arthritis is evident and at least one other non-joint area, such as the eyes, skin or muscles, is affected.
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