Sunland Inc., the nut distributor responsible for the recent Salmonella outbreak, provided contaminated peanut butter to Peanut Butter Newman-O's Sandwich Crème Cookies, Newman's Own Organics announced. Specifically, products with the expiration dates 27MAY13 and 3MAY13 should be avoided by nationwide consumers.
The outbreak was originally tied to Trader Joe's Creamy Slated Valencia Peanut Butter, but eventually expanded to include tahini, cashew butters, and blanched and roasted peanut products.
According to the Center for Disease Control, related illnesses have been identified in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
The following peanut butter brands have been recalled: Archer Farms, Dogsbutter, Sunland, Earth Balance, Fresh & Easy, Heinen's, Late July, Joseph's Natural Value, Naturally More, Peanut Power Butter, Open Nature, Serious Food, Snaclite Power, Sprouts Farmers Market, Sprout's, and others.
Supermarkets such as Target, Fresh & Easy, Harry and David, Giant Food, Shop & Stop, and Whole Foods have also been known to use contaminated nut products to prepare their own packaged items.
So far, thirty illnesses and four hospitalizations have been reported, with no deaths as of yet. 66 percent of the Salmonella cases have involved children under the age of ten. Currently, no illnesses have been linked to Peanut Butter Newman-O's Sandwich Crème Cookies.The CDC notes that avoiding contaminated products is "especially important for children under the age of 5 years, older adults, and people with weak immune systems."
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. Typically, illness passes after four to seven days. In rare cases, Salmonella has been known to produce arthritis, endocarditis, and arterial infections.
101 products in total have been recalled. For the full list of contaminated products, click here.
Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch editor Kristal Dixon instructs consumers who have purchased any of Newman's Own Organics contaminated products to contact a company representative at 831-685-2866 Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm PDT.