MONTGOMERY - - Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Consumer Food Safety inspectors are actively conducting recall effectiveness checks in retail grocery stores and wholesale food warehouses for recently recalled Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured by Sunland, Inc. Consumers are encouraged to check their pantry for the recalled items. A complete list of products with the specific name brands that are printed on the labels is available at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm320647.htm. At this time, we are aware that some of these products were sold in Alabama at Kroger, Target, Wal-Mart and Publix but please know that this is NOT an all inclusive list of retail establishments that may have had these products for sale. Additionally, this recall is still in the developmental stage and other retail outlets could be added to this list.
Sunland, Inc. announced on Monday, September 24, 2012, this voluntary limited recall of its Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products, manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012, because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those 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 voluntary recall was initiated after learning that between June 11, 2012 and September 2, 2012, twenty-nine people reported Salmonella Bredeney PFGE matching illnesses in approximately 18 states, including Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland, according to a report issued on September 22, 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to a Sunland, Inc. statement, "There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter every day. While FDA, CDC, and State Health Agencies investigate to confirm the cause of illnesses reported, as a precautionary step, we have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012. If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it."
Best-If-Used-By Dates: This recall applies to products with Best-If-Used-By Dates between May 1, 2013 and September 24, 2013. (Stamped on the side of the jar's label below the lid of the jar.)
Consumers who have purchased Sunland's Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products with the above UPC and Best-If-Used-By-Dates are urged to discard the product immediately. Consumers can contact the company at 1-866-837-1018, which is operational 24 hours a day, for information on the recall. In addition, a consumer services representative is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM MT at (575) 356-6638.
Media representatives should contact Ms. Katalin Coburn, Vice President for Media Relations, Sunland, Inc., at 805-796-3368.
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries encourages consumers to sign up to receive Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts at www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls.
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