FDA Warns Do Not Eat Peanut Butter Products

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised that Americans should not eat cookies, crackers, candy, ice cream or any food that containing a peanut butter or peanut paste.The agency are still works and study to narrow down which brands of peanut butter are responsible for a Salmonella outbreak.

Currently,the Salmonella outbreak has so far caused 6 deaths and nearly 500 hospitalizations.

Salmonella is an organism which 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 warning by the agency is only applies to the products containing peanut butter, and not to the jarred supermarket peanut butter. In US,it is believed that the commercial peanut butter sold in 5 to 50 pounds tubs to schools, hospitals, nursing homes and commercial producers under the King Nut and Parnell’s Pride label are responsible after a positive test.

There are over 85 different companies use the peanut butter, including Kellogs which has recalled products including Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.

FDSupermarkets and suppliers, including Walmart and Costco are pulling affected items from shelves.

Kellog's Products impacted by the recall were produced on or after July 1, 2008, including:

• Austin® Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes
• Austin® Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut ButterSandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Austin® Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
• Austin® Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches – all sizes
• Austin® Quality FoodsSuper Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers
• Austin® Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Austin® Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
• Austin® Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
• Austin® Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
• Austin® Quality FoodsCookie/Cracker Pack
• Austin® Quality FoodsVariety Pack
• Keebler® Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Keebler® Toast & PB'n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Keebler® Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Famous Amos® Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce)
• Keebler® Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce)