Candy, trail mix and other snacks made with recalled Jif peanut butter are among the growing number of products being pulled from stores and vending machines nationwide as federal health officials investigate a multi-state outbreak of salmonella.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday issued a public safety alert that said at least 14 people from 12 states had been infected, with two hospitalized. “Four of five people interviewed reported eating different types of Jif brand peanut butter before getting sick,” the agency stated.
The J.M. Smucker Co. late last week recalled multiple Jif brand peanut butter types sold across the U.S. and in Canada, including creamy, crunchy, natural and reduced fat. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg was found in a J.M. Smucker plant in Lexington, Kentucky, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The actual number of sick people and affected states is likely higher, as some individuals recover without being tested, according to the CDC. “This product has a very long shelf life, so be sure to check any Jif peanut butter you have at home to make sure it has not been recalled,” it added.
Salmonella can cause symptoms including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can be serious and sometimes fatal to children, as well as the frail and elderly. Most people who get Salmonella develop symptoms between six hours and six days after being exposed to the bacteria.
All of the recalled peanut butter include the numbers 1274425-2140425, with “425” at the end of the first seven digits.
Food and Drug Administration
In addition to jars of Jif, snacks containing the recalled peanut butter are now attracting regulatory scrutiny.
Walnut Creek, Ohio-based Coblentz Chocolate Co. is recalling sweets including chocolate, fudge, caramel corn and assorted creams containing the recalled Jif peanut butter sold nationwide from November 12, 2021, to May 21, 2022. The company has ceased using Jif peanut butter, Coblentz said in a recall notice posted on Tuesday by the FDA.
Indianapolis, Indiana-based Garden Cut on Tuesday recalled products combining apple slices or cut up celery with peanut butter and distributed in seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Mary’s Harvest Fresh Foods of Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday recalled apple and celery slices combined with 1.5-ounce portions of Jif To Go Creamy Peanut Butter distributed to stores in two states — Oregon and Washington.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Spring, Texas-based Country Fresh is recalling an array of fresh-cut fruit snack trays and fruit snack cups containing the recalled Jif peanut butter and sold under brands including Giant, Market32, Snack Fresh, Snack Sensations and Wegmans.
The products were sold by retailers in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia, Country Fresh said.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Cargill on Monday said it is recalling 795 8-ounce boxes of candy and other snacks made with the recalled peanut butter, according to a notice posted by the FDA.
That includes milk and dark chocolate-covered peanut butter Ritz crackers, peanut butter meltaways, peanut butter eggs and fudge sold locally through the Wilbur Chocolate retail store in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and online at Wilburbuds.com.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Taher Inc. of Plymouth, Minnesota, is recalling 6.3-ounce packages of “Fresh Seasons Power Packs” containing the potentially contaminated Jif peanut butter. The packs were sold in retail stores and vending machines in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, according to the company.
Albertsons Companies said it was recalling 11 store-prepared products including mini peanut butter cream pies and sliced apples with peanut butter sold at stores including ACME, Albertsons, Eagle, Jewel-Osco, Safeway Tom Thumb and Vons (see the full list of products and stores here).
Albertsons Companies
Meantime, Giant Eagle is recalling GetGo branded apple slices with peanut butter sold through May 13 by GetGo stations in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The snacks bear the UPC code: 30034 93770 6 and best-if-used-by dates through May 29, 2022.
The CDC estimates that about 1.3 million Americans are infected with salmonella each year, with 26,500 hospitalized and 420 dying as a result.