Jif creamy, crunchy, natural, and reduced-fat peanut butter are being recalled because they have been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has left 14 people ill in 12 states.
J.M. Smucker Co., the parent company for the popular peanut butter brand, issued a voluntary recall on Friday. The products in the recall were produced at the company’s Lexington, Kentucky manufacturing facility.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local partners are investigating the outbreak that so far spans 12 states, according to NPR.org.
The recalled peanut butter was distributed nationwide in retail stores and other outlets. Recalled products include lot codes 1274425 – 2140425. Lot codes are included alongside the best-if-used-by date.
Currently, 14 people have reported illnesses and two of those cases have resulted in hospitalizations, according to data provided by the CDC.
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) showed that samples from the sick closely related genetically to a sample collected in 2010 from the environment at J.M. Smucker Company’s facility in Lexington, KY, where some Jif brand peanut butter is produced.
“Five out of five people reported consuming peanut butter and four of the five people specifically reported consuming different varieties of Jif brand peanut butter prior to becoming ill,” the FDA said.
Consumer information
Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria. Most people will recover within 4 to 7 days even without treatment.
Some people – especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems – may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
The CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any recalled Jif brand peanut butter. Throw it away.
Also, because the recalled product has a very long shelf life (up to two years), Be sure to check any Jif peanut butter you have at home to make sure it has not been recalled.
