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Consumers warned not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut
butter and Great Value peanut butter The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) is warning consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan
peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of
contamination with Salmonella Tennessee (a bacterium that causes foodborne illness). The affected jars of Peter Pan and Great Value
peanut butter have a product code located on the lid of the jar that
begins with the number "2111." Both the Peter Pan and Great Value
brands are manufactured in a single facility in Georgia by ConAgra.
Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not
affected.
If consumers have any of this Peter Pan or Great Value brand peanut
butter in their home that has been purchased since May 2006, they
should discard it.
Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by
Salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In persons
with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella
can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.
Individuals who have recently eaten Peter Pan and Great Value brand
peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 and have experienced
any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care
provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state
or local health authorities.
FDA's warning is based on a just-completed epidemiological study
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the states
and local health agencies, which links 288 cases of foodborne
illness in 39 states to consumption of varying types of Peter Pan
peanut butter. This report was provided to FDA on February 13.
The outbreak appears to be ongoing, and the first consumer may
have become ill in August 2006. The cause of foodborne illnesses can
be difficult to identify. As a result of extensive epidemiological
testing and recent case control studies, CDC was recently able to
identify Peter Pan peanut butter as the likely cause of illness.
Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 is
manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter and, thus,
is believed to be at similar risk of contamination.
ConAgra is recalling all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter
beginning with product code 2111 that already was distributed. The
company also is destroying all affected products in their
possession. The company will cease production until the exact cause
of contamination can be identified and eliminated. ConAgra will
advise consumers to destroy any Peter Pan and Great Value brand
peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 in their possession.
To assist in this endeavor, FDA has sent investigators to ConAgra's
processing plant in Sylvester, Georgia, where the products are made,
to review records, collect product samples and conduct tests for
Salmonella Tennessee.
FDA will provide regular updates as more information becomes
available.
Consumers who have questions should contact ConAgra at
866-344-6970.
(Text copied from
U.S.
Food and Drug Administration news release)
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Consumers warned not to use Wild Kitty cat food due to salmonella
contamination The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is
warning consumers not to purchase, or use, Wild Kitty Cat Food due
to the presence of Salmonella, a pathogen. During routine monitoring
activities, FDA collected and analyzed a sample of frozen raw Wild
Kitty Cat Food and detected Salmonella in the product. Cats and
other pets consuming this food may become infected with Salmonella.
People can also become infected with Salmonella if they handle or
ingest this cat food, touch pets that consumed the food, or touch
any surfaces that came into contact with the food or pets.
The specific products covered by this warning are Wild Kitty Raw
All Natural, Frozen Cat Food -- Chicken with Clam Recipe, Net Wt.
3.5 oz. (100g) and 1 lb. in plastic containers. Some of these
containers may be uncoded.
Salmonella can cause serious illnesses in small children, frail
or elderly people, and people and pets with weakened immune systems.
Other people and pets may suffer short-term symptoms, such as high
fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and
diarrhea. Long-term complications can include arthritis.
The Wild Kitty Cat Food is sold nationwide to retail stores and
through distributors and Internet sales, nationwide. The
manufacturer declined to recall this product despite several
requests by FDA that it do so.
Consumers who have purchased this product should not feed it to
their pets, but should instead dispose of it in a safe manner (e.g.,
in a securely covered trash receptacle). Anyone who is experiencing
the symptoms of Salmonella infection after having handled the
product should seek medical attention and report use of the product
and illness to FDA's Office of Emergency Operations. In addition,
people who have concerns that they may have Salmonella should
contact their medical doctors and the local health departments.
People who have concerns whether their pet has Salmonella should
contact their veterinarian.
People may risk bacterial infection not only by handling their
cat, but by contact with the pet food, food bowl, cat box and
surfaces exposed to these items, so it is important that they
thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap. Since young
children, elderly people, and people and animals with weakened
immune systems are particularly at risk from exposure, they should
avoid handling all the items listed above and surfaces exposed to
these items. FDA may provide additional updates as more information
becomes available.
To report any injuries or problems with Wild Kitty Cat Food,
please contact the FDA's Office of Emergency Operations at
301-443-1240.
If you require the use of a Relay Service, please call the
Federal Relay Services, 1-800-877-8339. This is a toll-free relay
service to call Federal agencies from TTY devices. You may also find
useful information through the FDA website:
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/
backgrounders/complain.html.
(Text copied from
U.S.
Food and Drug Administration news release) |
