Peanut butter recall extended following fresh outbreak

The salmonella poisoning has snowballed into a major health concern and US food safety authorities have ordered recall of peanut butter bought as early as October 2004.

Earlier, the Food and Drug Administration had ordered all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter packs bought since May 2006 should be discarded. However, now the officials have announced all products with batch code 2111 should be recalled. This could mean all products including peanut butter toppings and desserts bought since October 2004, should be thrown out.

The manufacturer ConAgra Foods Inc. that makes both the brands has recalled all potentially contaminated batches.

The Philippines’ Bureau of Food and Drugs had issued an advisory refraining the public from buying and consuming certain batches of Peter Pan peanut butter.

The FDA is continuing its investigations into the salmonella contamination in the company’s products. Initial findings indicate the infection arose at the company’s plant in Sylvester, Georgia from where the peanut butter was shipped. Salmonella samples were also found at the Humboldt, Tenn. Plant where the peanut butter products like toppings, dressings and candies were made.

Samples from several open jars of Peter Pan peanut butter recalled across different states showed strains of salmonella. These strains were also recovered from the plant and matched those found in consumers who had fallen ill.

The FDA has indicated the recovery of salmonella strains from the plant means the infection occurred before the products reached the consumers.

Significantly, many of those who had become sick had eaten peanut butter from the ill-fated batch just a week or five days before. Salmonella infection lasts for 6 to 10 days and usually resolves with minimal treatment. However, uncontrolled diarrhea could lead to death from dehydration. So far, three deaths have been reported. The elderly, children, pregnant women and immune-compromised individuals need immediate medical attention.

Some brands like Carvel have announced consumers could return the peanut butter jars and claim refunds.

The two important elements of this rather unfortunate episode are: how safe are the facilities that manufacture the ready foods that we eat and how do we put in place a system of monitoring those facilities?
While consumer activist groups could raise the protest bandwagon trashing all manufacturers, there is a need to objectively link safety standards with commercial expediencies. The officials should not just respond to episodes; there should be adequate periodic monitoring mechanisms to ensure the food that reaches our table is safe for us. Stringent punitive measures for errant manufacturers should be a major deterrent.