FDA Expands Recalls to All Peanuts and Peanut Products from Blakely GA Plant

The Food and Drug Administration has expanded the recall of peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America’s plant in Blakely GA after inspectors identified additional strains of Salmonella at the facility along with poor sanitation practices.

The plant provides peanut butter and peanut paste to more than 70 food companies that manufacturer a wide variety of products from cookies to ice cream to dog food.  Hundreds of products have been voluntarily recalled by those companies.  So far, there is no evidence that any retail peanut butter is contaminated.  The Centers for Disease Control has not had reports of Salmonella infection from strains other than Typhimurium.

The FDA and CDC recommend:

• Don’t eat any of the recalled products and throw them away in a way that others can’t eat them.
• Check the FDA database of recalled peanut items before eating any commercially-prepared or manufactured food containing peanuts, peanut butter, or peanut paste.
• For peanut items not on the FDA database, check the manufacturer’s web site or call the toll-free number found on most packaging before eating them.
• If safety of an item containing peanut products cannot be determined, don’t eat it and dispose of it safely so it cannot be eaten by others.
• People who think they may have become ill from eating a contaminated product should contact a health care professional.

In addition, although the risk of animals getting a Salmonella infection is low, children and adults who handle recalled animal snacks should take special care by washing their hands thoroughly before and, especially, after feeding treats to pets.