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Some Skippy Peanut Butter Recalled

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy and Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spreads are being recalled in 16 states because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The affected reduced fat peanut butter was distributed to retail outlets in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Skippy's manufacturer, Unilever United States Inc., announced the recall Friday, saying it is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Unilever said the recall was initiated as the result of the company's own routine sampling, which revealed that the finished products might contain the bacteria.
No other Skippy products are affected by the recall.
The recalled peanut butter, packaged in 16.3 oz plastic jars, has the following identification marks:
UPCs (located on the side of the jar's label below the bar code) are 048001006812 and 048001006782.
Best-if-used-by dates (stamped on the lid of the jar) are: MAY1612LR1, MAY1712LR1, MAY1812LR1, MAY1912LR1, MAY2012LR1 and MAY2112LR1.
To date, no illnesses have been reported.
Customers who purchased Skippy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Spread with the affected UPCs and best-if-used-by-dates are urged to discard it immediately and call the company for a replacement coupon.
Contact the company at 1-800-453-3432, in operation 24 hours a day, for information on the recall. In addition, a consumer services representative will be available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
 

Full post as published by Food Safety News on March 05, 2011 (boomark / email).