Peter Pan peanut butter recalled locally
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Carlsons' Grocery in Marion and Vogt's Hometown Foods in Hillsboro are among the area grocery stores that have pulled Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter code 11960 and Peter Pan Crunchy Peanut Butter code 11961 from their shelves.
The recall was voluntary based on a Food and Drug Administration warning of potential salmonella contamination.
The code for the affected jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter is on the lid and begins with the number 2111.
Both brands are manufactured in a single facility in Georgia. If consumers have any of this peanut butter in their home that has been purchased since May 2006, they should discard it but save the lid.
For a full refund, they must mail the lid along with their name and mailing address to: ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 57078, Irvine CA 92619-7087.
As of Feb. 15, state and local health agencies had linked 290 cases of food-borne illness in 39 states to consumption of varying types of Peter Pan peanut butter.
Marion Family Physicians in Marion reported receiving no cases of salmonella poisoning linked to peanut butter.
One mother in rural Marion reported her son became ill after eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich containing the recalled product. He was not taken to a doctor for diagnosis, but was sick off and on for several days following the initial onset.
Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
According to experts, peanuts and peanut butter go through heating processes which destroy salmonella organisms.
The FDA is investigating the Georgia plant to determine if the product was contaminated during the cool-down period before being sealed into individual jars.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are an estimated 76 million cases of food-borne illness every year in the United States, the vast majority being mild and causing symptoms a day or two.
