Posted on 02/14/2007 9:35:51 PM PST by Buddy B
FDA News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P07-21 February 14, 2007
Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Certain Jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter Product May be Contaminated With Salmonella
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of contamination with Salmonella Tennessee (a bacterium that causes foodborne illness). The affected jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter have a product code located on the lid of the jar that begins with the number "2111." Both the Peter Pan and Great Value brands are manufactured in a single facility in Georgia by ConAgra. Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected.
If consumers have any of this Peter Pan or Great Value brand peanut butter in their home that has been purchased since May 2006, they should discard it.
Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Individuals who have recently eaten Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 and have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities.
FDA's warning is based on a just-completed epidemiological study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the states and local health agencies, which links 288 cases of foodborne illness in 39 states to consumption of varying types of Peter Pan peanut butter. This report was provided to FDA on February 13.
The outbreak appears to be ongoing and the first consumer may have become ill in August 2006. The cause of foodborne illnesses can be difficult to identify. As a result of extensive epidemiological testing and recent case control studies, CDC was recently able to identify Peter Pan peanut butter as the likely cause of illness. Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 is manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter and, thus, is believed to be at similar risk of contamination.
ConAgra is recalling all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 that already was distributed. The company also is destroying all affected products in their possession. The company will cease production until the exact cause of contamination can be identified and eliminated. ConAgra will advise consumers to destroy any Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 in their possession. To assist in this endeavor, FDA has sent investigators to ConAgra's processing plant in Sylvester, Georgia where the products are made to review records, collect product samples and conduct tests for Salmonella Tennessee.
FDA will provide regular updates as more information becomes available.
Consumers who have questions should contact ConAgra at 866-344-6970.
ping
Had to throw away a brand new jar.
My son told me last night that a bunch of guys from his Royal Ambassadors class were out sick with "stomach flu".
Hmmmmm...I wonder....
Oh crap...I'm gonna die. Guess I better go home and down 2-3 shots of Jagermeister. I needed an excuse to go home early for the day.
Bad peanut butter ping.
Check your jars!
This is algore's fault, not Dubya's.
Mmmmm....a peanut butter and salmonella sandwich.
It's what's for lunch!
We're preparing a Freeper wake for you now. What color suit do you want to wear?
Yikes! I found one in my cupboard this morning that my son has been eating out of all week. Luckily, no effects yet.
I checked mine at lunch today, yep it's 2111. Well, I had already eaten half of the jar, I had no other peanut butter, so I went ahead & ate it again. I may die by the end of it,but it sure was good! Oh well!
I wonder if ANYONE has one that is NOT 2111 ?!
Ours is ... it's 2/3 gone ... none in our family have gotten sick...
I don't eat the stuff ... but hubby and the kids do ..
For the record - we're in Texas..
We had Peter Pan..
I had to throw away a Sam's size container of ours. I want my money back and a little extra for pain and suffering for having to take all my kids out in 8 degree temperatures to replace our peanut butter. Ugh! My kids will starve to death if they don't have PB! LOL!
This is not remotely Tony Snow related, but judging by the responses on this thread, a lot of FReepers are finding this stuff and some have gotten sick.
A couple of my friends may have gotten sick from this, as well.
I apologise for the Ping List abuse, but this may be more serious than your typical food scare.
We have an almost empty jar of the 2111 stuff in the pantry. None of us have gotten sick after eating it though.
Yep, we just *almost* finished a jar with 2111 on the lid, a tablespoon or two remaining. It must have been ok, but I'm not willing to chance it with this new unopened bottle.
"If consumers have this product, they should discard it, but save the product lid. For a full refund, consumers must return the Peter Pan Peanut Butter or Great Value Peanut Butter product lid along with their name and mailing address to ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 57078, Irvine, CA 92619-7078."
This doesn't work for me. The product code was on the can, not the lid. Oh well. Maybe I'll try to cut into the can. Or maybe I'll just let it go. I really don't want to mess with it! I'm sure they are hoping that everyone will be as lazy as I am!!
I don't know about you gals, but I love a good PB&S sammich.
Keep the lid with the 2111 on it and call the 800 number in the recall report.
They will replace or give credit for purchase.
Peanut butter is the one food product that really suffers when you compare leading brands to off-brands. I don't know why...it just is.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.