Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter

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CONTACT: PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA 1-877-564-7080

PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA (PCA), IS EXPANDING THE RECALL OF PEANUT BUTTER AND VOLUNTARILY RECALLING PEANUT PASTE MADE AT ITS BLAKELY, GEORGIA FACILITY BECAUSE THE PRODUCTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA. SALMONELLA IS AN ORGANISM THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS IN YOUNG CHILDREN, FRAIL OR ELDERLY PEOPLE, AND OTHERS WITH WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. HEALTHY PERSONS INFECTED WITH SALMONELLA OFTEN EXPERIENCE FEVER, DIARRHEA (WHICH MAY BE BLOODY), NAUSEA, VOMITING AND ABDOMINAL PAIN. IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES, INFECTION WITH SALMONELLA CAN RESULT IN THE ORGANISM GETTING INTO THE BLOODSTREAM AND PRODUCING MORE SEVERE ILLNESSES SUCH AS ARTERIAL INFECTIONS (I.E., INFECTED ANEURYSMS), ENDOCARDITIS AND ARTHRITIS.

THE RECALLED PEANUT BUTTER AND PEANUT PASTE WERE DISTRIBUTED TO INSTITUTIONS, FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRIES, AND PRIVATE LABEL FOOD COMPANIES IN 24 STATES, THE PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN IN CANADA, KOREA AND HAITI. THE U.S. STATES ARE THE FOLLOWING: ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH AND VIRGINIA. IN ADDITION, AFFECTED PRODUCT WAS USED AS AN INGREDIENT IN OTHER PRODUCTS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED IN OTHER STATES.

NONE OF THE PEANUT BUTTER BEING RECALLED IS SOLD DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS THROUGH RETAIL STORES BY PCA.

THE RECALLED PEANUT BUTTER IN THE EXPANDED RECALL IS SOLD BY PCA IN BULK PACKAGING IN CONTAINERS RANGING IN SIZE FROM FIVE TO 1,700 POUNDS. THE PEANUT PASTE IS SOLD IN SIZES RANGING FROM 35-POUND CONTAINERS TO TANKER CONTAINERS. THE LOT NUMBERS FOR ALL RECALLED PRODUCTS ARE AT THE END OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. ALL OF THE PEANUT BUTTER AND PEANUT PASTE IN THE EXPANDED RECALL WAS MADE ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2008, AND ONLY AT THE GEORGIA FACILITY.

THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTAMINATION WAS NOTED AFTER A SMALL NUMBER OF SAMPLES FROM UNOPENED CONTAINERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES FROM THE BLAKELY, GEORGIA FACILITY TESTED POSITIVE FOR SALMONELLA. THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID THE INVESTIGATION IS “VERY ACTIVE AND DYNAMIC,” AND PCA CONTINUES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE FDA AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE NATIONWIDE OUTBREAK OF SALMONELLA.

THE BLAKELY, GEORGIA FACILITY HAS CURRENTLY STOPPED PRODUCING ALL PRODUCTS AS THE FDA AND CDC CONTINUE THEIR INVESTIGATION, BUT SOME PCA STAFF REMAIN TO ASSIST IN THE ON-GOING INVESTIGATION.

PCA IS NOTIFYING CUSTOMERS THAT MAY HAVE RECEIVED THE RECALLED PRODUCT BY PHONE AND/OR IN WRITING. CUSTOMERS SHOULD SEGREGATE AND HOLD THE PRODUCT AND CALL PCA AT 1-877-564-7080 FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. “WE DEEPLY REGRET THAT THIS PRODUCT RECALL HAS EXPANDED, AND OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF OUR CUSTOMERS,” SAID STEWART PARNELL, PRESIDENT OF PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF ALL THE PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THE ORIGINAL RECALL AND THE AMENDED RECALL:

LOT NUMBERS AFFECTED:

8183 8184 8185 8186 8187 8188 8189 8190 8191 8192 8193 8194 8195 8196 8197 8198 8199 8200 8201 8202 8203 8204 8205 8206 8207 8208 8209 8210 8211 8212 8213 8214 8215 8216 8217 8218 8219 8220 8221 8222 8223 8224 8225 8226 8227 8228 8229 8230 8231 8232 8233 8234 8235 8236 8237 8238 8239 8240 8241 8242 8243 8244 8245 8246 8247 8248 8249 8250 8251 8252 8253 8254 8255 8256 8257 8258 8259 8260 8261 8262 8263 8264 8265 8266 8267 8268 8269 8270 8271 8272 8273 8274 8275 8276 8277 8278 8279 8280 8281 8282 8283 8284 8285 8286 8287 8288 8289 8290 8291 8292 8293 8294 8295 8296 8297 8298 8299 8300 8301 8302 8303 8304 8305 8306 8307 8308 8309 8310 8311 8312 8313 8314 8315 8316 8317 8318 8319 8320 8321 8322 8323 8324 8325 8326 8327 8328 8329 8330 8331 8332 8333 8334 8335 8336 8337 8338 8339 8340 8341 8342 8343 8344 8345 8346 8347 8348 8349 8350 8351 8352 8353 8354 8355 8356 8357 8358 8359 8360 8361 8362 8363 8364 8365 8366 9001 9002 9003 9004 9005 9006 9007 9008 9009 9010 9011 9012 9013 9014 9015 9016

LOT NUMBERS AFFECTED: 8169 8170 8172 8173 8174 8184 8185 8186 8187 8203 8204 8205 8206 8214 8215 8216 8217 8219 8220 8221 8222 8223 8225 8226 8227 8228 8259 8260 8261 8262 8263 8264 8280 8281 8282 8283 8302 8303 8304 8305 8308 8309 8310 8311 8343 8344 8345 8346 8347 8350 8351 8352