Trader Joe’s just issued a recall for peanut butter in a multi-state Salmonella outbreak, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) just announced.
Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter has been removed from all store shelves, nationwide. The recalled Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter is packaged in a 16-ounce, plastic jar that bears an expiration date stamped below the lid. All code dates are included.
Trader Joe’s announced that it also ceased production and distribution of the peanut butter while the FDA and the peanut butter supplier investigate the potential contamination. The peanut butter, in addition to being distributed nationwide, was also available for sale via the Internet.
Trader Joe’s stated that no confirmed illnesses have been directly reported to it; however, the FDA indicated that it is investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney infections it said are possibly linked to the Trader Joe’s peanut butter. The FDA also announced it is investigating the matter with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and local and state public health officials. The FDA provided a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) identifier of 97111 associated with the potentially contaminated product.
The firm is advising consumers who have purchased the recalled Valencia Peanut Butter to not eat the product and dispose of it or return it to Trader Joe’s for a full refund. Trader Joe’s Customer Relations department can be reached at 1.626.599.3817.
The CDC also recommends that consumers not consume Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter, which is made with sea salt, noting that this warning is particularly important for children under the age of five, elderly adults, and people with weak immune systems. According to the CDC, 29 people have been sickened with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney, which now spans 18 states.
It can take between six and 72 hours from consumption of a contaminated product for the symptoms of Salmonella poisoning—salmonellosis—to appear. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Additional symptoms include chills, headache, nausea, and vomiting that can last up to seven days. The illness usually lasts four to seven days; however, in some, the organism can invade the bloodstream, becoming so severe that hospitalization is required. Sometimes, infection with the Salmonella pathogen can result in, and produce more severe or chronic illnesses and can leave sufferers with serious life-long health issues.
One of the most common bacterial food borne illnesses, salmonellosis can be especially life threatening to those with weakened immune systems, such as infants; the elderly; and persons with compromised immune systems, such as people with HIV infection or who are undergoing chemotherapy.
