Statements on peanut butter Salmonella

Statement from FDA - Product testing by several states has now confirmed that Peter Pan peanut butter and certain Great Value brand peanut butter are the sources of the foodborne illness outbreak of Salmonella Tennessee that began in August 2006. To date 329 individuals have become ill from consuming the contaminated peanut butter, and 51 of those persons were hospitalized.

The outbreak is ongoing. All products containing Peter Pan brand peanut butter and all jars of Great Value brand peanut butter bearing a product code that begins "2111" are potentially contaminated. Potentially contaminated products include 3/4 ounce and 1.1 ounce single serving packs of Peter Pan brand peanut butter. All of these products contain peanut butter that was manufactured in ConAgra's Sylvester, Georgia plant. Retailers and institutions possessing the products described should not serve or sell them. Any consumer possessing any of these products should discard them.

Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by salmonella include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Individuals who have recently eaten any products containing Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value brand peanut butter from a jar bearing a product code beginning 2111 and who have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately and report the illnesses to their state or local health authorities. Similarly, institutional food establishments and other food service providers who have received reports of illness from consumers after they consumed one of these products are encouraged to share that information with their local health department.

ConAgra has recalled these products from stores and ceased production in their Sylvester, Georgia processing plant until the exact cause of contamination can be identified and eliminated. FDA is continuing to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with states and local officials to identify how the contamination occurred in order to prevent similar foodborne illness outbreaks.

http://www.fda.gov

Statement from CDC - Public health officials in multiple states, with the assistance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are investigating a large multistate outbreak of Salmonella serotype Tennessee infections.

An epidemiologic study comparing foods that ill and well persons said they ate showed that consumption of Peter Pan peanut butter and Great Value peanut butter were both statistically associated with illness and therefore the likely source of the outbreak. Product testing has confirmed the presence of the outbreak strain of Salmonella Tennessee in opened jars of peanut butter, obtained from ill persons.

FDA has advised consumers not to eat any Peter Pan peanut butter purchased since May 2006 and not to eat Great Value peanut butter with a product code beginning with 2111 purchased since May 2006. Peter Pan peanut butter is made in a single facility in Georgia. Great Value peanut butter with a product code beginning with 2111 is made in the same facility as Peter Pan peanut butter; Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected.

As of February 21st at 12 PM EST, the last time when numbers were updated, 329 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Tennessee have been reported to CDC from 41 states. Among 249 patients for whom clinical information is available, 51 (21%) were hospitalized. No deaths have been attributed to this infection. Onset dates, which are known for 224 patients, ranged from August 1, 2006 to February 2, 2007, and 60% of these illnesses began after December 1, 2006.

PulseNet (the national subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance coordinated by CDC) detected a slowly rising increase in cases of Salmonella Tennessee this fall. OutbreakNet (the national network of public health officials coordinated by CDC that investigates enteric disease outbreaks) then worked for several weeks to identify this unusual food vehicle.

Public health officials from several states have isolated Salmonella from open jars of peanut butter of both Peter Pan and Great Value brand. For four jars, the serotype has been confirmed as Tennessee and DNA fingerprinting has shown that the pattern is the outbreak strain.

FDA officials and the peanut butter manufacturer are working collaboratively to learn more about production of peanut butter to determine how it may have become contaminated.

Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care provider. Persons who have Peter Pan peanut butter purchased since May 2006 or Great Value peanut butter with a product code beginning with 2111 purchased since May 2006 should discard the jar. Local health departments no longer need to collect jars for testing.

Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

The states that have reported cases are Alaska (1 case), Alabama (10), Arkansas (3), Arizona (5), California (3), Colorado (10), Connecticut (2), Florida (4), Georgia (18), Iowa (6), Illinois (7), Indiana (14), Kansas (8), Kentucky (9), Massachusetts (5), Maryland (2), Maine (1), Michigan (7), Minnesota (5), Missouri (16), Mississippi (5), Montana (2), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (6), New Mexico (1), North Carolina (16), New York (34), Ohio (7), Oklahoma (10), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (25), South Carolina (6), South Dakota (5), Tennessee (18), Texas (14), Virginia (23), Vermont (4), Washington (4), Wisconsin (6), and West Virginia (2).

http://www.cdc.gov

Statement from ConAgra Foods - ConAgra Foods has announced that testing by some states has detected the presence of Salmonella within samples of peanut butter manufactured in its Sylvester, GA plant.

"We are truly sorry for any harm that our peanut butter products may have caused," said Gary Rodkin, chief executive officer, ConAgra Foods. "Our immediate recall of 100% of our product was taken with the assumption that a link could be found between our peanut butter and the reported cases of Salmonella. We are committed to taking all reasonable steps to remedy the situation."

Rodkin continued, "We'd like to thank our consumers and customers for their understanding, as well as for the role they've played in ensuring public safety by returning and disposing the recalled product. We are also grateful for all of the hard work undertaken by FDA and CDC."

On Feb. 14, the company voluntarily recalled all varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter beginning with product code 2111 as well as individual packets of Peter Pan Peanut Butter found in foodservice venues... Since then, ConAgra Foods has been working with the FDA to identify any potential source of the food-borne illness salmonella in the product.

ConAgra Foods has authorized retailers to accept returns of open or unopened jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter or Great Value Peanut Butter marked with a product code beginning with 2111 for a full refund. Consumers should return peanut butter to the store where they bought it.

Alternatively, consumers can send their Peter Pan Peanut Butter or Great Value Peanut Butter lid or label with the product code beginning with 2111 to ConAgra Foods along with their name and mailing address for a full refund. That mailing address is ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103. It is not necessary to send samples of peanut butter through the mail.

If you have questions or concerns about your health, please contact your doctor. Consumers with questions or concerns about the recall can call the 24-hour toll-free hotline at 866-344-6970. For more information, please visit: www.conagrafoods.com/brands/peter_pan/index.jsp. For more information about salmonella, visit www.ific.org.