Trader Joe's Recalls Peanut Butter Over Salmonella Concerns

The maker of Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter has expanded a voluntary recall to include 76 nut butter products after one type of its peanut butter was linked to a salmonella outbreak.

New Mexico-based Sunland Inc. recalled the products under multiple brand names after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked 29 salmonella illnesses in 18 states to Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, according to the Associated Press.

The expanded recall now includes Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds and Trader Joe's Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, along with 73 other widely distributed nut butters. Click here for a full list of the recalled nut butter products.

"We have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond, Peanut and Cashew Butters, Tahini and Roasted Blanched Peanut products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012, Sunland CEO Jimmie Shearer said in a statement. "If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it."

Sunland officials noted that none of its products beyond the Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter have been linked to illnesses.

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's, which has Marin locations in Greenbrae and San Rafael, said it was recalling the product “out of an abundance of caution” but added that it had no confirmed information suggesting the peanut butter was unsafe to eat.

“There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers and crew, and the quality of our products,” read a statement on the company’s website.

Those sickened reported becoming ill between June 11 and Sept. 2, according to the CDC. More than three-fourths of those who became ill were children under the age of 18, the AP reported. No deaths have been reported.

In addition to the three Trader Joe's products, Sunland also makes the following brand names included in the recall: Archer Farms, Earth Balance, Fresh & Easy, Heinen's, Joseph's, Natural Value, Naturally More, Open Nature, Peanut Power Butter, Serious Food, Snaclite Power, Sprouts Farmers Market, Sprout's, Sunland and Dogsbutter. 

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 hours to 72 hours after infection. It is most dangerous to children, the elderly and others with weak immune systems. The illness usually lasts four to seven days.

A list of all 76 products can be found here on Sunland's company web site.

Have you had to throw away any products as a result of this recall? Let us know in the Comments.

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