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February 27, 2007

Recalled Peanut Butter Salmonella Toll Nears 400

Just days after confirming the presence of salmonella in jars of recalled Peter Pan peanut butter, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that its official count of people sickened by the tainted peanut butter is 370, up from 329 cases just last week.

CDC: Salmonella Count Is Up to 370

The numbers are expected to change as more cases are reported; however, numbers in outbreaks such as these tend to skew on the low side due to misdiagnoses or victims who do not seek medical care.

''There may be a few weeks from when a case occurs to when it is officially reported, so we would attribute this rise in the case count to a reporting phenomenon rather than a new spike in cases,'' said a spokesperson for the CDC.

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FDA Expands Peter Pan Peanut Butter Warning

After confirming the presence of salmonella in Peter Pan peanut butter manufactured by ConAgra, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expanding its warning to consumers to include different package sizes and lots.

FDA Update on Salmonella Outbreak

The updated warning includes not only jars of Great Value and Peter Pan peanut butter with the number '2111' on the lid, but 3/4 and 1.1 ounce single-serving packs of Peter Pan peanut butter.

Thus far, the contaminated peanut butter has led to hundreds of cases of food-borne illness, including over 50 hospitalizations.

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Peanut Butter Recall -- Could Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Be Next?

As the Peter Pan recall's ramifications continue to spread across the nation like so much tainted peanut butter, chocolate giant Hershey's might be next as consumers question whether Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter are used in the project.

Salmonella Probe Turns To Reese's

While ConAgra, which manufactured the tainted Peter Pan peanut butter, is unable to confirm what ingredients Hershey's uses in their popular Reese's Peanut Butter cups, Hershey has vigorously denied using ConAgra peanut butter.

"This recall does not apply to any products containing peanut butter that are manufactured and distributed by The Hershey Company. All of our products are safe to consume," said a spokesperson for Hershey. Questions about the salmonella safety of Hershey's products coincide with the company's announcement today that it plans to close a Canadian candy factory, cut more than 3000 jobs and move some production to cheaper facilities in Mexico.

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February 26, 2007

South Carolina Salmonella Victims Sue Over Peanut Butter Recall

South Carolina is the latest state to produce Peter Pan peanut butter lawsuits. At least three victims who contracted salmonella after eating tainted Peter Pan peanut butter have filed suit against ConAgra, the manufacturer of Peter Pan.

Three in S.C. Sue Over Peanut Butter Poisoning

The plaintiffs join a growing crowd of individuals bringing suit after catching salmonella from tainted jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter.

"I'm still nauseated," says Annie L. Blackwell, one of the plaintiffs in the new South Carolina cases.

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International Consequences of Peter Pan Recall

The ongoing saga over recalled Peter Pan peanut butter knows no international borders: officials in both South Korea and China are taking steps to remove the tainted peanut butter from grocery store shelves.

South Korea Recalls U.S. Peanut Butter Linked to Salmonella
Beijing Recalls Contaminated U.S. Peanut Butter

At least 156 cases of already-sold peanut butter were recently recalled and quarantined in China after the World Health Organization (WHO) alerted officials of the peanut butter recall and salmonella scare. Apparently three batches (742 cases in all) of both Peter Pan peanut butter and generic Great Value peanut butter were imported in September and December 2006.

Meanwhile, officials in Singapore have confirmed that salmonella is not present in its samples of Peter Pan peanut butter: AVA Confirms Salmonella Not Present in Peter Pan Peanut Butter

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More Michiganites Report Peanut Butter-Related Salmonella

Two more cases of salmonella contracted after ingesting Peanut Pan peanut butter were reported in Michigan today, bringing the total number of Michigan peanut butter salmonella cases to seven.

Two More Michigan Salmonella Cases Linked To Peanut Butter"

A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health says that the newest cases were found in Montcalm and Oakland counties. The two cases bring the nationwide toll of the peanut butter, which was recalled by manufacturer ConAgra after a massive salmonella scare, to nearly 340.

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February 23, 2007

CDC Confirmation: There Is Salmonella In Peter Pan Peanut Butter

Jars of Peter Pan peanut butter sold in New York, Iowa and Oklahoma have tested positive for the salmonella bacteria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials reported today. The positive salmonella diagnosis confirms the claims of tainted Peter Pan peanut butter that inspired a massive recall on the part of the peanut butter's manufacturer, ConAgra.

CDC Tests Confirm Salmonella in Peanut Butter

The news comes as panic over the tainted Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter spreads across the country, with a nationwide recall taking millions of peanut butter jars off the shelves and putting ConAgra under significant financial strain. Still, ConAgra's chief exec Gary Rodkin is insisting that ConAgra will continue to take responsible action: "We will take all reasonable steps to remedy the situation."

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February 20, 2007

The Search for the Peanut Butter Contamination Source

The Food and Drug Administration has broadened its warning about salmonella-contaminated peanut butter, saying now that all Peter Pan peanut butter bought since May 2006 should be thrown away. Currently, more than 290 people from 39 states have become sick since August as a result of having eaten the contaminated peanut butter. 46 people have been hospitalized because of salmonella-exposure complications. No deaths have been reported.

Salmonella Outbreak Still a Sticky Mystery

Government scientists still are working to find the source of the outbreak, but they believe that Peter Pan peanut butter and Walmart's Great Value Brand, both of which are manufactured by ConAgra Foods Inc., are responsible for the outbreak. United States consumers are urged to throw away peanut butter with product "2111" on the lid; the number denotes the plant at which the peanut butter was made. It still is a mystery as to how the peanut butter became contaminated with salmonella; however, peanuts generally are heated to temperatures that kill bacteria during the manufacturing process, so contamination was possibly caused by dirty jars or equipment. Salmonella generally sickens about 40,000 people in the United States each year and kills approximately 600. Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain, and vomiting. The only other known peanut butter salmonella outbreak occurred in Australia in the 1990s and appeared to be the result of unsanitary plant conditions.

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ConAgra: Peanut butter recall will cost $50 million-$60 million
ConAgra to Take Charge for Peanut Butter Recall
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Certain Jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter
FDA Widens Peanut Butter Warning

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What Should be Done with Recalled Peanut Butter?

Federal officials say that if you have a jar of Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter with product code 2111 stamped on the lid, there are several actions that you can take. The possibly salmonella-contaminated peanut butter can be thrown away, returned to the store from which it was purchased, or the lid can be mailed to ConAgra Foods for a refund. Consumers who have further questions about the recall are urged to call ConAgra's 24-hour toll-free hot line at (866) 344-6970 or to visit ConAgra's website at www.conagrafoods.com.

What to Do With Recalled Peanut Butter

ConAgra announced a recall of all varieties of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter with product code No. 2111 on the lid Wednesday, February 14. The company says that it currently is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate how the peanut butter may have become tainted with salmonella. The FDA says that about 85% of the 288 people in 39 states who had contracted food-bourne Salmonellosis since August 2006 had eaten peanut butter. Those who have recently eaten peanut butter with the 2111 product code and who experience symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps should contact their health care providers immediately.

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Tainted Peanut Butter.. and I HAD SOME!

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Seattle Law Firm Files Suit Over Peanut Butter

The Seattle Law firm Marier Clark has filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of those who became sick after eating Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter. This is the third lawsuit to have been filed against ConAgra Foods Inc. since peanut butter manufactured at the company's Georgia plant was found to have been contaminated with salmonella. Attorney William Marier of Marier Clark says that the firm has been contacted by 2,500 people.

Seattle law firm sues over peanut butter

Marier Clark will seek compensation for those who became sick after eating the peanut butter but who were not hospitalized. Marier says that the more serious cases will be handled separately. A ConAgra spokeswoman says that the company takes consumer safety seriously and this is why they recalled the peanut butter.

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ConAgra: Recall Will Cost $50M-$60M
Seattle lawyer files class action lawsuit over peanut butter illnesses
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Certain Jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter Recall (Possible Salmonella)

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