2111 Peanut Butter
A Pinedale resident found this jar of Peter Pan peanut butter with the "2111" suspect code in their home. No one in the family became sick from eating the peanut butter. Photo courtesy Karen Stewart.
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Update on Salmonella in Peanut Butter outbreak
No confirmed cases in Wyoming
by Pinedale Online!
February 20, 2007
To date, Wyoming has not had any confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning that can be tied to eating tainted peanut butter, according to Kim Deti, Public Information Officer with the Wyoming Department of Health today (Tuesday, February 20). “There definitely are jars of peanut butter around the state with that code on it,” she said. “At this point we have no lab-confirmed salmonella cases that we could say definitively was associated with peanut butter.”
That doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, just that no cases have been lab confirmed and reported to the state Wyoming Department of Health. She indicated that several health departments around the state thought they might have possible cases, but none have yet been definitively linked to peanut butter.
The suspect brands are Peter Pan, and Great Value-a Wal-Mart brand. Neither Faler’s General Store in Pinedale or Burney’s in Big Piney carry Peter Pan brand of peanut butter. We did a check of the shelves of the convenience stores in Pinedale and found that none carry Peter Pan brand.
Several people in Pinedale have e-mailed us saying they found jars of Peter Pan with the “2111” code on the jar lid in their homes. Two people had eaten significant portions of the jar, but no one in their families have come down sick. Both those jars were purchased at the Wal-Mart in Rock Springs over the past month or so.
According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the outbreak appears to be ongoing and the first consumer may have become ill in August 2006. Both Peter Pan and Great Value brands are manufactured in a single facility in Georgia by ConAgra. These products may have national distribution. Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected.
ConAgra is recalling all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 that already was distributed. The company also is destroying all affected products in their possession. The company will cease production until the exact cause of contamination can be identified and eliminated. ConAgra is advising consumers to destroy any Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 in their possession. To assist in this endeavor, FDA has sent investigators to ConAgra's processing plant in Sylvester, Georgia where the products are made to review plant records, collect product samples and conduct tests for Salmonella Tennessee.
The cause of food-borne illnesses can be difficult to identify. As a result of extensive epidemiological testing and recent case control studies, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was recently able to identify Peter Pan peanut butter as the likely cause of illness. Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 is manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter and, thus, is believed to be at similar risk of contamination.
Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to visit their health care provider. Persons who have become ill and have Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter with product code beginning with “2111” should set aside the jar for possible collection by local health officials for further testing. Persons who have not become ill and have peanut butter with product code “2111” should discard the jar.
Related Links:
CDC News Release on Salmonella due to peanut butter
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Warning to Consumers
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
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