Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Peanut Butter Products: Some Companies NOT Affected

March 24, 2009

FDA advises that there is no indication that any national name brands of peanut butter sold in jars in retail stores are implicated in this outbreak and series of recalls. The agency has the following advice for consumers:
"[T]he FDA recommends that consumers avoid eating products that have been recalled and discard them.

Because identification of products subject to recall is continuing, the FDA urges consumers to postpone eating commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter-containing products and institutionally-served peanut butter until further information becomes available about which products may be affected. Efforts to specifically identify those products are ongoing."

The American Peanut Council has posted a list of its members whose products are NOT affected by the peanut recalls.

The following companies and products are NOT part of this series of recalls.

(Please note that these advisories may be updated as a result of the closure of PCA's Plainview, Texas facility and the subsequent recall of all products ever shipped from that location.)


Associated Buyers, Inc.
Associated Buyers released the following statement on January 23rd:

"To ensure the safety of our products (and our customers), we are taking all appropriate measures to minimize the risk involved in such a widespread concern. Our customer service and purchasing staff are currently obtaining affidavits from all producers/vendors using peanuts and/or peanut butter as ingredients. These affidavits state the origin of the ingredients in question, and will determine the need for any product recalls. Associated Buyers will continue to monitor all product recalls, both voluntary and involuntary, until the situation is rectified, and contact customers on a case-by-case basis."


ConAgra Foods
On January 28, 2009, ConAgra reiterated its earlier assurance that the company's products – including the Peter Pan peanut butter product line – are unaffected by the Peanut Corporation of America recalls. 


CostCo Wholesale Corporation
An eFoodAlert reader reported the following on February 19th:

"Kirkland Organic Creamy Peanut Butter is not on the recall list as per their corporate headquarters customer service today. They source their peanuts from New Mexico and Texas producers who have no connection to Peanut Corp. of America."


Cub Foods
Although the company has recalled certain peanut butter cookies, Cub Foods advises consumers that the peanut butter sold in its stores are not affected by the current recalls.


Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc.
Dreyer's reiterated on February 5th that none of its ice cream products contain peanuts or peanut products supplied by PCA. Dreyer's brands include: Dreyer's®, Edy's®, Haagen-Dazs®, Nestle®, Frosty Paws®, Eskimo Pie®, Fruit Bars, and The Skinny Cow®. Dreyer's foodservice and ice cream parlor products also are made without PCA-supplied ingredients.


Frontier Airlines
Frontier reports that the Grizwald's Gourmet Cafe snacks served on its flights do not contain any peanuts or peanut products supplied by PCA.


Girl Scouts 
Girl Scouts of the USA reports that neither of the two companies that manufacture Girl Scout cookies – ABC Interbake or Little Brownie Bakers – are affected by the PCA recall. The Girl Scouts web site provides links to notices from several suppliers, all indicating that their products are unaffected by the PCA recalls. The identified suppliers are ABC Interbake, Little Brownie Bakers, Trophy Nut Company, Hampton Farms, A.L. Schutzman, and Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream.


Harris-Teeter
Harris-Teeter private label brand of peanut butter crackers is unaffected by this recall.


The Hershey Company
Hershey announced that it "... does not purchase any peanut butter, peanuts or peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America." Hershey manufactures its own peanut butter for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.


KIND Snacks
February 25, 2009. Peaceworks, the manufacturer of KIND Snacks, reaffirmed today that its products are not affected by the Peanut Corporation of America recalls, stating the following:

Today KIND Snacks reconfirmed that it is not affected by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) recall, and PCA does not supply any peanut products used in any variety of KIND Fruit + Nut Bars or KIND Plus Nutrition Bars.


Kraft Foods
Neither Kraft nor its suppliers source any peanut butter products from PCA. Kraft, Nabisco and Planters products are NOT affected by the current recall.


Kroger
Kroger brand Peanut Butter is NOT affected by the current recall.


Lance, Inc.
Lance has issued a news release to reassure consumers that Lance® peanut butter sandwich crackers are not affected by the current recall. Lance produces 100% of the peanut butter used in Lance® sandwich cracker products, and does not obtain any peanut butter products from PCA.


MaraNatha
MaraNatha has issued a news release reassuring consumers that it's peanut butter is unaffected by the Peanut Corporation of America situation. According to the company,

"MaraNatha sources nuts only from approved growers, and stringent food safety and quality control stanards include the testing of all nuts that come into the MaraNatha facility in Ashland, Oregon. One hundred percent of MaraNatha nut butter production takes place at the company's Ashland facility."


Mars SnackFood US
Mars advises consumers that it does not source peanut butter or peanuts from PCA. Mars processes its own peanut butter from its own roasted peanuts for the "majority" of its peanut butter-containing products. The company reiterated that none of the following Mars products are impacted by the current series of recalls:

  • M&M'S Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies
  • SNICKERS Brand
  • SNICKERS Brand Ice Cream
  • TWIX Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
  • KUDOS Peanut Butter Granola Bars
  • Ethel M Chocolates and Ethel's chocolate lounge

National Confectioners Association
NCA has posted a list of their members who are unaffected by the Peanut Corporation of America recalls. This list may not reflect the January 28 PCA recall.


Nestlé USA
Nestlé issued the following statement on February 13th

"We would like to reassure our consumers and customers that none of our products are affected by the recent reports of salmonella found in peanut products traced to Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Nestlé USA does not purchase any peanut butter, paste or other peanut products from PCA.

It is important for our consumers and customers to know that no Nestlé USA products have been affected or recalled as a result of this issue."


Quaker Oats North America
Quaker Oats advises consumers that none of their products contain peanut butter, peanuts or peanut paste manufactured by PCA.


Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc.
Rocky Mountain advises that none of its products contain peanuts, peanut butter or any other peanut products manufactured by PCA. Rocky Mountain products, whether sold in the Company's retail stores, supplied to other companies, or used as ingredients in other food products, are NOT affected by this recall.


Schiff Nutrition International
Schiff advises that Tiger's Milk® nutrition bars have never been manufactured using peanut butter or peanut paste from PCA. Tiger's Milk® bars are NOT affected by this recall.


Smart Balance, Inc.
Smart Balance is reassuring its customers that none of its peanut butter products are affected by the recall. Smart Balance does NOT purchase peanuts, peanut butter, or peanut butter paste from PCA.


The J.M. Smucker Company
Smucker has posted the following statement on its web site:
"The Food and Drug Administration's voluntary peanut butter recall involving certain brands of peanut butter and peanut butter products because of concerns relating to Salmonella (a bacterium that causes food borne illness) does not include any peanut butter products or brands produced by The J. M. Smucker Company, such as Jif®, Smucker's®, Adams® and Laura Scudder's® brands."

Tastykake Baking Company
Tastykake reports that they do not have a "supplier relationship" with PCA. Therefore, none of the Tastykake brand products are included in this recall.


Unilever United States, Inc.
Unilever announced in January that it did not source any ingredients from Peanut Corporation of America. Skippy, Good Humor-Breyers, Klondike and Ben & Jerry's brands are NOT affected by this recall. Certain Slim-Fast products have been recalled both in the United States and Canada.

On February 4th, the company amended this earlier statement, advising consumers that it had recalled Breyers Tin Roof Sundae ice creams, a product discontinued in August 2008. Unilever reiterated its assurance that none of its other products are affected by the PCA recalls.

Unilever issued the following additional statement on February 9th.

"Skippy(R) Peanut Butter is in no way related to the current Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Georgia recall. Specifically, no peanuts or peanut ingredients used in Skippy(R) Peanut Butter are sourced from PCA. Skippy(R) has in place robust quality assurance and processing procedures to ensure product quality and safety."

Welch's
On January 19, 2009, Welch's released the following statement:

"Product quality and safety are universal concerns that Welch’s takes very seriously. Welch’s BAMA Peanut Butter is manufactured by Algood Food Company and is not associated with the most recent salmonella recall."

23 comments:

  1. Why do Kirkland and Costco not show up on any 'safe' lists? I have a large container of Organic Kirkland peanut butter.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't have an answer for you. I queried Costco directly by email and simply was directed to the recall page on the company's web site. As far as I know, Costco has not released any statement regarding the Kirkland peanut butter.

    If in doubt, I suggest that you return the product to your local Costco store.

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  3. What about dark chocolate nut mix sold by girl scouts?

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  4. I have checked the Girl Scouts site and updated the "safe products" information they have posted. I saw no specific mention of the dark chocolate nut mix. Given the number of different chocolate covered nut mixes (such as Bridge Mixtures) that have been recalled, I would be inclined to avoid those products in the absence of very specific information.

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  5. I just seached Costco's website to try and buy peanut butter and it's not listed for sale????

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  6. I've tried, too - without success. I have not seen any press releases from Kirkland, and they don't appear on the FDA's consolidated list of recalled products.

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  7. is there a site where i can see the lot numbers and date of the austin toasty peanut butter crackers, that the FDA found salmonella in??

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  8. I have not seen that information posted by FDA. I doubt that it has been released officially. If you believe that you may have become ill after consuming an Austin peanut butter cracker, please contact your doctor and your local health authority (county or state health department) to report your suspicions. Your state health department probably would have access to the information you are seeking.

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  9. I expect Costco to confirm the safety of their Kirkland brand peanut butter. I trust their products but think it would be something they should do soon.

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  10. hmm...kirkland is usually owned by a large brand name company and repackaged as Kirkland in Costco. Maple Leaf and Kirkland deli meats are affiliated.

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  11. How about Archer Farms (Target Brand) monster trail mix?

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  12. I have not seen any mention (yet) of Archer Farms monster trail mix. Archer Farms PB cookies have been recalled (see that under the Brent and Sam's, the manufacturer)

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  13. I can't find anything about the organic peanut butter. I am training and rely on peanut butter as part of my routine.

    I trust Costco and if they have not released their product - Organic Certified in New Mexico - as part of a banned product then I will eat it and train.

    Costco would have done the right thing by now. I would have doubts if I bought Organic from WalMart because their ethics stink.

    I have eaten one jar of Kirkland PB and feel fine. If Costco adds this to the list late to the game I will crap on their entrance so they can test my feces directly.

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  14. I called Costco and verified that Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter is not on the list, but honestly, it should be!! I started eating it once a day about 8 days ago, and was crampy with major stomach issues. I didn't think anything about the peanut butter since I knew it wasn't on the "list". I thought I was going to end up at the hospital over the weekend it was so bad. I quit eating the peanut butter and by the next day, all of my symptons were gone. Please be careful if you have it in your home.

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  15. Please report these symptoms to your local or state health agency and/or the FDA. If you still have some of the peanut butter that you think was the source of these symptoms, it is VITAL to get this into the hands of your state health department for testing.

    Most food contamination problems are found as a result of one or more consumers reporting the problem to their doctor, or a government agency.

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  16. I can't find anything about Nestle being on or off the safe list. Specifically the Chunky bar. Should I assume it is safe since it has not been officially announce anywhere?

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  17. At least one Nestlé product has been recalled. Unless a company has made a blanket statement along the lines of "We have never purchased anything from Peanut Corporation of America," I would be VERY hesitant to buy their brand of peanut product.

    Nestlé has NOT made such a statement.

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  18. Not to scare any one but do be carefull buying peanut products for some time. Check for which ones say they really are safe before eating. I know first hand from a store I have history of notifying that the GooGoo clusters they had on stock had been recalled by FDA yet the product stayed on shelf for sale for over 2 weeks. Employees would only say that corporate has not sent down a order to pull the product. I had to print out the recall notice I had received in my email and take it to the manager to have the product pulled. Same with the Austin Cheese crackers.. I had them pull the product 4 days before they heard anything from corporate to pull the product. The store workers are not allowed to just take things off shelves, they have to wait for word from the corporate offices, the slow trickle of information takes time to make it down to the stores to remove products so please be careful.

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  19. If you go to Nestle web page ( http://www.nestleusa.com/PubNews/PressReleaseLibraryDetails.aspx?id=8AE67860-46DF-45D7-9E78-18657441AD9D ) you will find this notice:
    We would like to reassure our consumers and customers that none of our products are affected by the recent reports of salmonella found in peanut products traced to Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Nestlé USA does not purchase any peanut butter, paste or other peanut products from PCA.

    It is important for our consumers and customers to know that no Nestlé USA products have been affected or recalled as a result of this issue.

    We will continue to monitor this issue closely to ensure the continued quality and safety of our products.

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  20. Phillis, what Nestle product was recdalled? The page says none of there's has been recalled. I am confused now.

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  21. Nestlé Healthcare Nutrition has recalled some certain codes of OPTIFAST® Honey 'n' Oat Nutritional Bars. See my post here:

    http://efoodalert.blogspot.com/2009/02/peanut-butter-products-us-recalls-m-n.html

    As far as I know, no other Nestlé products have been recalled.

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  22. What about A&P Equality Brands of nuts and butter-I see nothing listed.
    mdm

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  23. I have not found any recall notices for A&P Equality Brands. I have found no statements either issued by the company.

    I would suggest that you contact A&P customer service or ask at your local A&P supermarket.

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