The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked the outbreak to products made with peanut paste and peanut butter manufactured after July 1 in a Georgia factory owned by Virginia-based Peanut Corporation of America. The company supplies King Nut brand peanut butter and paste to long-term-care and other institutions, foodservice companies and private-label manufacturers. The company reportedly has suspended all production in its Georgia facility pending the outcome of the investigation. Salmonella bacteria have most recently been found in unopened five-pound tubs of King Nut peanut butter at a Connecticut broadline distributor as well as in institutional foodservice operations in Minnesota.
Several of the nation's largest retailers and manufacturers are recalling products that may contain the contaminated peanut butter or paste. A list of recalled products is being kept and updated by the government at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall.
Salmonella bacteria can cause an infection that often produces diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. While most people recover without treatment, infants, elderly people and those with compromised immune systems can develop severe illness that can result in death if not promptly treated with antibiotics.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.