Skippy Peanut Butter Recalled for Salmonella Contamination
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Defective Products on Thursday, March 10, 2011
Unilever United States Inc., the company that manufactures Skippy peanut butter, recently announced that it was recalling a number of jars of its low-fat line due to possible contamination that can cause food poisoning. The recall was issued for 16 states, including Missouri, and was for Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread and Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread.
The company said it issued the recall in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after testing of samples revealed possible salmonella contamination. According to an announcement from the FDA, salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause illness, especially in young children, elderly people and people with reduced immune systems. Symptoms of salmonella infection include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The illness is potentially fatal, though most people recover after four to seven days without treatment. No one has reported being sickened by eating the peanut butter, though the Centers for Disease Control said it was monitoring for possible cases.
Unilever said that a little fewer than 3,000 jars of affected peanut butter made it to stores. States where jars possibly contaminated with salomella were sold include Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. Affected jars are the 16.3 ounce size, with use-by dates between May 16 and May 21, and UPC codes of 048001006812 or 048001006782. Anyone with an affected jar is urged to throw it away and call Unilever for a replacement.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times, “Salmonella warning prompts Skippy peanut butter recall,” March 8, 2011