Peanut butter recall grows to more than 400 products
Posted in Drug & Medical Devices on October 15, 2012
The recall of peanut butter and other peanut products linked to a salmonella outbreak has expanded again – this time to include raw and roasted peanuts.
Sunland Inc., a New Mexico food company, has already recalled peanut butter brands sold at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Target and Costco. The FDA has warned consumers not to eat any products associated with Sunland, and to discard them right away because they might be tainted with Salmonella.
According to a list released by Sunland and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of manufacturers that have recalled their own products, more than 400 products have been recalled. For a complete list of companies recalling products, click here.
Thirty-five people have been sickened in 19 states from coast to coast and there is concern that with so many products on the list, that number could grow.
Plant linked to outbreak has been investigated before
An official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said all of the illnesses that have been investigated are related to the peanut butter products that are from the one plant.
An FDA investigation conducted last month after the illnesses were linked to the plant found salmonella in environmental samples taken from various surfaces, officials said. The agency did not release any other details about current conditions at the plant. Washington state health officials also confirmed the presence of salmonella in an opened jar of the Trader Joe’s peanut butter found in a victim’s home, the FDA said.
Sunland has recalled everything made in its contaminated plant since March 2010.
Agency records show that the FDA has found problems at Sunland before. Two inspections at the plant in 2009 and 2010 found “objectionable conditions” but classified the findings as not meeting the FDA’s threshold for action. According to the records, any corrective action on the part of the company was voluntary. The FDA has not released details on what the objectionable conditions were or why the agency visited the plant twice in two years.
Symptoms of Salmonella
Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
However, in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.
If you have any of the recalled products, you should throw them away immediately.
The personal injury attorneys of Elk & Elk want you and your loved ones to be safe. We are serious about helping you stay informed about recalls and dangerous products.
To find out more about the product recall attorneys of Elk & Elk, click here.