FDA Peanut Recall Continues to Expand; Which Peanut Butter Products Are Safe to Eat?

On the heels of a scathing inspection report issued by the FDA of PCA's Blakely Georgia plant, PCA has voluntarily issued yet another recall of its peanut and peanut products. This new recall notice now includes peanut products manufactured in it's Blakely plant since January 1, 2007; a recall that will now encompass more than two full year's worth of products. PCA's recall notice, which appears on the FDA.gov website, indicates that it has expanded its recall in the interest of public safety, while most would admit that products manufactured two years ago are likely long consumed. Since September 2008, more than 500 individuals have been sickened by salmonella, and nearly half of those were children. The items listed under PCA's newest recall include products sold to institutions within the U.S., as well as some foreign countries including Haiti, Trinidad, Canada and Korea.

The massive recall of peanut butter products has negatively affected manufacturers, even those who did not purchase their peanut products from PCA. Those companies are now going on the offensive, listing statements on their websites to quell consumer fear of peanut butter.

Safe from the FDA peanut recall: Peter Pan

The last peanut butter recalled due to salmonella was Peter Pan peanut butter in 2007. That recall was a financial blow to the company, as not only were Peter Pan peanut butter products pulled from the shelves, but also generic peanut butters (includingWalmart branded peanut butter). To boost consumer confidence in its product, Peter Pan aggressively marketed its product offering $1 coupons in the Sunday Paper, lowering the prices in grocery stores to $1 to make the product free with coupon and also offering a satisfaction guarantee. This time around, Peter Pan is safe to consume, according to a Con Agra statement listed on the Peter Pan website, Peter Pan has confirmed that none of its products were manufactured with anyPCA peanut products. Peter Pan is not subject to the current peanut butter recall.

Safe from the FDA peanut recall: Jif

Like Con Agra's Peter Pan, J. M. Smucker's Jif peanut butter is also going on the offensive, placing a notice to consumers on its website. The J. M. Smucker site lists this disclaimer: "The J. M. Smucker Company does not purchase peanut butter, peanuts or peanut products from Peanut Corporation of America for any products..." Aside fromJif, Smuckers also manufacturers Uncrustables, a product that can be found in many schools throughout the country.

Safe from the FDA peanut recall: Hersheys (including Reese's)

Hershey's has also placed a PCA free disclaimer on its website. As Julia Bodeeb recently reported, America's favorite chocolate bar announced outstanding profits in a sagging economy, and is taking no chances with customer confidence. Hershey's peanut disclaimer is dated nearly two weeks ago and states that, "No products made by The Hershey Company, including items and brands in the iconic Reese's franchise, are affected by the recent recall related to peanut butter. Hershey does not purchase any peanut butter, peanuts or peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America."

Consumers unsure of whether or not a product is subject to recall should do a search for the product on the FDA.gov's searchable database.

Sources:

http://www.jif.com/home.asp

http://www.peterpanpb.com/index.jsp

http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/peanutcorp401_09.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1424704/americans_love_chocolate_hershey_net.html?cat=3

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1428441/fda_inspection_report_of_pcas_georgia.html?cat=5