Skippy Peanut Butter Recall

Photo: FDA

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Tom Philpott over at Grist has a good take on why it's a good idea to choose real (single ingredient) peanut butter over the over-processed alternative. If you haven't made the conversion from partially hydrogenated oil-heavy spread to real peanut butter, you'll want to read the latest on this recently announced Food and Drug Administration recall:

Unilever United States, Inc. today announced a ... recall of Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread and Skippy Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread, because it may be contaminated with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis...

The product was distributed to retail outlets in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The affected product, which is packaged in 16.3 oz plastic jars, is as follows:

• UPCs: 048001006812 and 048001006782 (located on the side of the jar’s label below the bar code.)
• Best-If-Used-By Dates: MAY1612LR1, MAY1712LR1, MAY1812LR1, MAY1912LR1, MAY2012LR1 and MAY2112LR1 (Stamped on the lid of the jar.)

To date, no illnesses related to this issue have been reported. The recall was initiated as the result of a routine sampling program by the company, which revealed that these finished products may contain the bacteria.

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