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Peanut Butter Jelly time? Hmm...maybe not so much....

By Megan Roth

I spread it on toast with cinnamon and honey, I swirl it through triple chocalate brownies, I melt it in my oatmeal and sometimes even mix it with crushed red pepper and olive oil for a chicken strip dip (sounds weird, but think of Thai food).

Yes, I’ve found many a use for it (as have the Buckwheat Boys) and consider myself an avid consumer of peanut butter – the infamous condiment that, as of late, has taken headlines by storm.

On Saturday, the FDA advised consumers to stop eating peanut butter until further notice. But why not eat the ooey-gooey, super-delicious condiment that has a wealth of nutrients and health benefits?

How’s this for an answer? As of Saturday evening, more than 450 people hade been poisoned and five deaths resulted from a Salmonella outbreak that is linked to certain peanut butter products.

Since Saturday, one other death and 20 other illnesses have been reported. An outbreak that sparked a chain of recalls starting last week when the Peanut Corp. of America issued a nationwide recall of peanut butter made at its Blakely, Georgia plant on or after July 1 (this occurred late Tuesday; on Friday, they expanded their recall – I mean they really expanded it).

And they aren’t alone. Kellogg Co. – a powerhouse in the cereal and snack world – asked stores around the nation to temporarily stop selling various Keebler and Austin brand products containing peanut butter.

And, to the dismay of elementary students everywhere, Little Debbie has followed suit and issued a recall on certain products containing peanut butter.

And this certainly isn’t the first time this has happened. In February 2007, over 290 individuals in 39 states were affected by a Salmonella outbreak which led to a mass recall of peanut butter products.

But we thought we overcame this – we thought the issue was addressed and resolved. So what sparked the recent recalls? An open container of peanut butter from the King Nut Corporation (a major peanut butter supplier) tested positive for strains of salmonella a couple weeks ago; since then, reports of illnesses have skyrocketed (as can be seen from the aforementioned statistics) and a state of peanut-butter induced panic has ensued.

The effects are severe and the statistics are staggering. More on that tomorrow; for now I’m going to go make myself a piece of toast – cinnamon and honey only.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on January 19, 2009 (boomark / email).