WASHINGTON - Federal health authorities on Saturday urged consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods that contain peanut butter until authorities can learn more about a deadly outbreak of salmonella contamination.

"We urge consumers to postpone eating any products that may contain peanut butter until additional information becomes available," said Stephen Sundlof, head of the Food and Drug Administration's food safety center.

But most peanut butter sold in jars at supermarkets appears to be safe, Sundlof said.

"As of now, there is no indication that the major national name-brand jars of peanut butter sold in retails stores are linked to the recall," Sundlof told reporters in a conference call.

Officials are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at a Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America. Its peanut butter is not sold directly to consumers but distributed to institutions and food companies. But the peanut paste, made from roasted peanuts, is an ingredient in cookies, cakes and other products that people buy in the supermarket.

“This is an excellent illustration of an ingredient-driven outbreak,” said Dr. Robert Tauxe, who oversees foodborne illness investigations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So far, more than 470 people have gotten sick in 43 states, and at least 90 had to be hospitalized. At least six deaths are being blamed on the outbreak. Salmonella is a bacteria and the most common source of food poisoning in the U.S., causing diarrhea, cramping and fever.

Officials said new illnesses are still being reported in the outbreak investigation.

The Kellogg Co., which listed Peanut Corp. as one of its suppliers, has recalled 16 products. They include Austin and Keebler branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, and some snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies. Health officials said consumers who have bought any of those products should throw them away.


Elliott Minor / AP
The Peanut Corp. of America plant is seen on Thursday in Blakely, Ga. The company voluntarily recalled peanut butter produced at the plant, pending the outcome of an investigation of a salmonella outbreak.
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Peanut Corp. has recalled all peanut butter produced at the Georgia plant since Aug. 8 and all peanut paste produced since Sept. 26. The plant passed its last state inspection this summer, but recent tests have found salmonella.

Health officials are focusing on 30 companies out of a total of 85 that received peanut products from the Georgia plant. Sundlof said Peanut Corp. is a relatively small supplier on the national scene.

The Midwest supermaket chain Hy-Vee Inc. of West Des Moines, Iowa, said Saturday it was voluntarily recalling products made in its bakery departments with peanut butter because they had the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. The recall covered seven states: Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.

The outbreak has triggered a congressional inquiry and renewed calls for reform of food safety laws. For example, the FDA lacks authority to order a recall, and instead must ask companies to voluntarily withdraw products.

“Given the numerous food-borne illness outbreaks over the past several years, it is becoming painfully clear that the current regulatory structure is antiquated and ill-equipped to handle these extensive investigations,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who chairs a panel that oversees the FDA budget.

Seattle-area lawyer William Marler, who specializes in food safety cases, said the government shouldn’t wait for the results of more tests to request recalls.

“At least 30 companies purchased peanut butter or paste from a facility with a documented link to a nationwide salmonella outbreak,” said Marler. “The FDA has the authority actually, the mandate to request recalls if the public health is threatened. Instead, the FDA has asked the companies to test their products and consider voluntary recalls. It is just not enough.”


Health officials in Minnesota and Virginia have linked two deaths each to the outbreak and Idaho has reported one. Four of those five were elderly people, and all had salmonella when they died, although their exact causes of death have not been determined. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the salmonella may have contributed.

An elderly North Carolina man died in November from the same strain of salmonella that’s causing the outbreak, officials in that state said Friday.

The CDC said the bacteria behind the outbreak — typhimurium — is common and not an unusually dangerous strain but that the elderly or those with weakened immune systems are more at risk.

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OMG It seems like nothing is safe these days. That`s sad for the people that died from it. I won`t be eating peanut butter for a while.

OMG! Again? Wasn't there one last year with PeterPan peanut butter?

Damn

Thank god I hate peanut butter!

Yeah, but this is kinda different, it's ok to eat peanut butter itself from the jar, just not foods that contain peanut butter.

I haven't eaten peanut butter in a long time, and now, I'm proud to say that I probably won't eat it again.

I don't really like peanut butter. lol

smuckers peanut butter with grape jelly....

Good. I've always hated peanut butter.

Jelly <333333

I rarely eat peanut butter. I couldn't even remember the last time I ate one... but I'm pretty sure it was a long long long long time ago.

I LOVE peanut butter, and it contains a ton of protein so I don't feel bad about eating a spoonful every once in awhile.

I'll stay away from foods containing peanut butter but I'm not going to stop buying jars from the grocery.

CHUNKY PB!

I rarely eat PB, but i do love those CHUNKY PBs

This is, usually, the only way I eat peanut butter, anyway, so...um...what do I have to be concerned about again?

unless you buy natural peanut butter is filled with hydrogenated fats which keeps me away.
that and i hate peanut butter

i had to throw away like 500 Austin Crackers that contained peanut butter that homeoffice sent via-email to destroy. . . it made me want to eat one ... so i can get some money

i've eaten a peanut butter sandwich every day for the past few weeks for lunch and im not sick .

^ well then you might be overweight because of that :-/

I love peanut butter
hopefully they find the source of contamination asap