There is a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney infections linked to peanut butter manufactured by Sunland, Inc., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. As of today, there are now 35 reported illnesses in a total of 19 states now linked to the outbreak, which has sparked an expansive recall of two years worth of peanut butter from the company.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eight of the known to be sick all required hospitalization and more than 60 percent of those who became sick were children under the age of 10. As of today, no deaths have been reported.
“Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt, manufactured by Sunland, Inc. of Portales, New Mexico, is a likely source of this outbreak,” said CDC.
Not only did the epidemiological investigation link the peanut butter to illnesses, the same brand of peanut butter was found to contain the outbreak isolate. The Washington State Department of Agriculture laboratory found the positive test in a jar of peanut butter in a patient’s home. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also announced that environmental samples taken at the Sunland nut butter production facility tested positive for Salmonella, though the exact strain in not yet known.
Sunland supplied nut products to several businesses, so peanut butter and almond butter products have been recalled nationwide form several retailers, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, and others.
CDC urges consumers not to eat the recalled nut butters, or any products containing them. Consumers should discard any remaining jars or products. You can return the product to the place of purchase to receive a refund.
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