[MIham] FDA issues peanut butter do not eat guidelines.

[Frank]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeffrey Nawrot" Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 1:24 PM
Subject: [Generallist] FDA issues peanut butter do not eat guidelines.


FDA issues peanut butter do not eat guidelines.
http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=345&z=24

FDA Issue definitive statement on Peanut Butter Salmonella - Do not eat
guidelines



January 18, 2009:

Based on this information, and on the current state of the investigation,
the FDA recommends that consumers avoid eating products that have been
recalled and discard them.

Because identification of products subject to recall is continuing, the FDA
urges consumers to postpone eating commercially-prepared or manufactured
peanut butter-containing products and institutionally-served peanut butter
until further information becomes available about which products may be
affected. Efforts to specifically identify those products are ongoing.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting a very active and
dynamic investigation into the source of the Salmonella Typhimurium
outbreak.  At this time, the FDA has traced a source of Salmonella
Typhimurium contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America
(PCA), which manufactures both peanut butter that is institutionally served
in such settings as long-term care facilities and cafeterias, and peanut
paste?a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts?that is
distributed to food manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many
commercially produced products including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies,
cereal and ice cream.

The FDA has notified PCA that product samples originating from its Blakely,
Ga., processing plant have been tested and found positive for Salmonella by
laboratories in the states of Minnesota and Georgia.  The state of Minnesota
has reported to FDA that its samples of King Nut peanut butter are a genetic
match to the strain of Salmonella that has caused illnesses in that state
and around the country.  King Nut is a distributor of PCA product.

On January 16, PCA expanded its voluntary recall to include all peanut
butter produced on or after August 8, 2008, and all peanut paste produced on
or after September 26, 2008, in its Blakely, Ga., plant because of potential
Salmonella contamination.  The product being recalled is sold by PCA in bulk
packaging in containers ranging in size from five to 1700 pounds.  The
peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to product
sold by the tanker container.  These products are not sold directly to
consumers.  PCA has stopped all production at its Blakely, Ga. plant as the
FDA continues its investigation into the source of the Salmonella
contamination.

At this time, there is no indication that any national name brand jars of
peanut butter sold in retail stores are linked to the PCA recall.  As the
investigation continues over the weekend, and into next week, the FDA will
be able to update the advice based on new sampling and distribution
information.

The FDA is working closely with members of the food industry to narrow this
advice and to publish a detailed list of implicated products as soon as
possible.  The FDA is encouraging manufacturers to help inform consumers
about whether their products could have contained commercially prepared
peanut butter or peanut paste from PCA.  Also, if manufacturers know their
products do not contain ingredients from PCA, they may wish to inform
consumers of that fact.  Retailers should stop selling products which have
been recalled.

For information on products containing peanut butter from companies not
reporting recalls, consumers may wish to consult the company?s website or
call the toll-free number listed on most packaging.  Information consumers
may receive from the companies has not been verified by the FDA.

The FDA will closely monitor these events by continuing to work with the
firms on the details of their actions, conduct follow-up audits and
inspections, monitor the progress of the firms? actions, and notify our
foreign regulatory counterparts of products that may have been distributed
internationally.