Conagra Peanut Butter Recall

Parent Cafe
1

<p>ConAgra Recalls Peter Pan Peanut Butter
By MIKE STOBBE
AP
ATLANTA (Feb. 15) - A salmonella outbreak that has slowly grown to nearly 300 cases in 39 states since August has been linked to tainted peanut butter, federal health officials said Wednesday. </p>

<p>About 20 percent of the 288 infected people have been hospitalized, but none has died, said Dr. Mike Lynch, a CDC epidemiologist. </p>

<p>About 85 percent of the infected people said they ate peanut butter, CDC officials said. </p>

<p>How salmonella got into peanut butter is still under investigation, Lynch said. </p>

<p>The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter because of the risk of contamination. </p>

<p>The affected jars have a product code on the lid that begins with the number “2111.” The affected jars are made by ConAgra in a single facility in Sylvester, Ga., the FDA said. </p>

<p>Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected, the agency said. </p>

<p>Omaha-based ConAgra said it is recalling all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111. </p>

<p>“Although none of our extensive product tests have indicated the presence of salmonella, we are taking this precautionary measure because consumer health and safety is out top priority,” spokesman Chris Kircher said. “We are working closely with the FDA to better understand its concerns, and we will take whatever additional measures are needed to ensure the safety, quality and wholesomeness of our products.” </p>

<p>The largest number of salmonella cases were reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri. </p>

<p>Salmonella infection is known each year to sicken about 40,000 people in the United States, according to the CDC. Salmonellosis, as the infection is known, kills about 600 people annually. </p>

<p>Symptoms of salmonella can include diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting. </p>

<p>The new outbreak began in August, but just two or fewer cases have been reported each day, CDC officials said. </p>

<p>It was only in the past few days that investigators were able to hone in on a particular food, Lynch said. </p>

<p>ConAgra is destroying all affected products the company still has, the FDA said. </p>

<p>The company will cease production until the exact cause of contamination can be identified and eliminated. Meanwhile, ConAgra advised consumers to destroy any Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111. </p>

<p>The FDA sent investigators to ConAgra’s processing plant in Sylvester where the products were made to review records, collect product samples and conduct tests for salmonella. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>This is absolutely ridiculous. If Conagra’s only advice is to destroy the peanut butter then it isn’t a recall. I’m sure they want consumers to destroy the Peanut Butter, then it won’t cost them a dime to purchase the product back from people who purchased it. It isn’t the money, it’s the principle.</p>

2

<p>I found this on Conagra’s Website</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>That’s a whole lot more hassle than returning to the place of purchase.</p>

3

<p>

</p>

<p>Yeah, but it eliminates a lot of hassle for the supermarkets. Maybe ConAgra doesn’t want to irritate the supermarkets.</p>

<p>Or maybe they’re counting on people thinking, “Oh, well. Peanut butter isn’t all that expensive. I’ll just throw it out. Sending the lid back is too much hassle.”</p>

4

<p>I suspect it’s probably the latter.</p>

5

<p>I first heard about this when I ran into a friend in Publix. She was returning a jar of peanut butter there. Said they didn’t care if you had a receipt- they’d take it back. I got home and cked our 3 jars. Well, bingo- 3 for 3. All from this lot (one opened and 1/2 eaten… with no problem-- the other 2 intact.) Two are Peter Pan, the other is the store brand. I’ll take them back to their respective stores tomorrow and report back. OK?</p>

6

<p>I have two jars in my cabinet with the recalled lot number. One of the jars is almost empty, the other is unopened. Our Publix is refunding the money, according to the local news. I’ll returned the unopened one, but none of us has gotten sick from the other one so it must be fine. I’ve had it for a couple of months already…</p>

7

<p>Reporting from Texas…I also had a jar of the recalled PB! Mine had just expired, so no refund for me…lol!</p>

8

<p>What is this world coming to, if you can’t trust your peanut butter then there really are serious problems in this country.</p>

9

<p>I have that peanut butter, too. One jar almost empty, and another just opened and used today before I read about the recall and checked the numbers. No one is sick. I’m really not worried. Peanut butter is a very common thing for people to have eaten on any given day. (I’m thinking that 85% of people who didn’t get sick probably ate peanut butter, too). Maybe we’ll just finish off the PB, and THEN send back the lids. . .</p>

10

<p>

</p>

<p>I have no doubt that the store we got ours from will take it back. I’m not really worried about getting my money back. What I was taking exception to was Conagra telling the public to throw the peanut butter away which I believe was an attempt on their part to avoid shelling out (no pun intended) major $$$.</p>

11

<p>wharfrat-
While I agree that it is a pain in the a$$ to have to mail back anything to Conagra, they are asking only for the lid (with the code # on it) rather than having to mail back the whole jar, which would be a bigger hassle and cost me more, due to weight and size. They are offering a refund to consumers (as your second post shows) so I don’t really think they are trying to avoid paying out $$. What’s the difference if they throw it away or we throw it away? And, as atomom said, those of us with opened jars (and no sickness) could eat up the jar and then return the lid-- so we are the ones making the $$, not Conagra. At any rate, I intend to take the 2 unopened ones back to Publix, and the Walmart brand one (the open one) back to Walmart. If they won’t take it, I’ll wait til the jar is empty and then send the lid to Conagra. Yes, its a hassle, so eating hte jar and then asking for my $$ back will be my silent protest (well, not so silent any more, I guess).</p>

<p>*** btw, ldmom06, the article says they want to track ALL jars sold since May 2006, so they DO want your expired jar!! Money for you too!!</p>

12

<p>I happen to have a master’s degree in food microbiology.</p>

<p>patsmom, atomom, and everybody else, may I humbly suggest that it would be best to follow the company’s instructions and the FDA’s instructions and discard or return the peanut butter rather than eating it? </p>

<p>Just because nobody has gotten sick from it so far does not necessarily mean that it is OK. A contaminant could be unevenly distributed within the jar.</p>

<p>Salmonella is not quite as bad a bug as the E. coli that was in spinach a while back, but it’s not something to be careless about, either. The illness is very unpleasant even for basically healthy adults or teenagers, and it can be serious in very young people, old people, or those with preexisting health problems or impaired immune systems. The small amount of money you save by eating up the peanut butter while also getting a refund by returning the jar lid is not worth the risk. What if your kid brought a peanut butter sandwich to school, traded it for some other kid’s tuna sandwich, and it turns out that the other kid has health issues and is therefore at high risk?</p>

13

<p>marian… I think we were kidding… I won’t poison any other kid, I promise. (Besides, my kid doesn’t take his lunch to school, and my h has a cast iron stomach.) </p>

<p>All kidding aside, my older s had an awful bout of C-Difficile (C-Diff) that causes pseudomembranous colitis. He was hospitalized for 3 days. While it was far worse than a bout with Salmonella, I don’t wish either one on anyone. </p>

<p>The 3 jars are on the counter ready to be taken back to the store.</p>

14

<p>

</p>

<p>We live in Missouri.</p>

<p>Could any of you tell me if salmonella poisoning always includes vomiting and diarrhea? My daughter has not felt well for two weeks. She missed five days of school over that period (highly unusual in this household). She did have a fever four days running last week, but now just complains of feeling sick and tired. She takes a peanut butter sandwich every day to school, and yes, I just checked the label and it is the suspect brand and lot. Could it be coincidence that she feels better on the weekend?</p>

<p>I took her to the doctor on the fourth day out of school, but the diagnosis was…we don’t know, just a virus of some sort.</p>

<p>I’m on the way to school with a new lunch.</p>

15

<p>Whoa! I’ve got one of those jars, too, and it’s 3/4ths empty. I was not going to bother with the recall, but Marian and midmo convince me otherwise.</p>

<p>300 cases over six months in 39 states is a real outbreak, but it’s a pretty small number of cases relative to the number of jars of peanut butter that plant must pack.</p>

16

<p>You folks should all start buying JIF! ;)</p>

17

<p>

</p>

<p>Please tell me this was just tongue in cheek? Tongue stuck to the peanut butter? Your teen signed onto your screen name by mistake?</p>

<p>Please don’t eat the peanut butter.</p>

18

<p>Midmo: consider sending in a stool culture and then asking for antibiotics to treat Salmonella while you are waiting for the results…</p>

19

<p>Actually, midmo, antibiotics are not used in the treatment of Salmonella food poisoning as often as you might think. So don’t be surprised if the doctor doesn’t prescribe them.</p>

<p>It would be a good idea, though, to call the doctor’s office and explain that your family has been using the suspect peanut butter. Perhaps the doctor will want to see your daughter again.</p>

20

<p>sunnyflorida-
If your quote came from one of my posts, yes I was speaking very tongue-in-cheek. Took all 3 jars back today (2 to Publix, one to Wal Mart). No problem getting my whopping $5 and change back (which I promptly spent on other stuff… and then some. I am now $35 poorer).</p>

<p>Interestingly, the lady behind the customer service desk at Wal Mart had no idea their brand was part of the recall :eek: You’d think the manager would have told her! As I was leaving, another person was coming in the door with her jar. I guess she knows by now!</p>

<p>Synnyflorida- I’ll try to remember to put a “jk” or smiley face when I post something thats supposed to be wry. Sorry for any confusion.</p>