Salmonella Outbreak: Update January 23,2009

  The latest report on this outbreak, as of 9 PM, January 22 from the CDC.

As of 9PM EDT, Wednesday, January 22, 2009, 491 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states.

Among persons with available information, 22% reported being hospitalized. Infection may have contributed to seven deaths.

To clarify whether other peanut-butter containing foods are associated with the outbreak, CDC along with state partners conducted a second national case-control study. Between January 17 and 19 2009, telephone interviews were conducted with 75 persons who became ill with the outbreak strain and 399 well persons. Preliminary analysis of data received as of 9PM, Sunday, January 18, reveals an association between illness and consumption of pre-packaged peanut butter crackers, specifically with Austin and Keebler brands. 

Austin and Keebler brand peanut butter crackers are produced by the Kellogg Company in North Carolina, using peanut paste from the Peanut Corporation of America.  On January 14, 2009, the Kellogg Company put a precautionary hold on these peanut butter crackers, and on January 16 recalled these products. Other peanut butter containing products produced by a variety of companies may have been made with the ingredients recalled by PCA. CDC and state health departments continue to investigate the association of other brands and foods that contain peanut butter with illness.

Salmonella Typhimurium was isolated from Austin brand peanut butter crackers in Canada. Further tests are pending to determine if the Salmonella Typhimurium in these crackers are the outbreak strain.

More than 180 peanut butter-containing products produced by a variety of companies may have been made with the ingredients recalled by PCA.  The list of currently recalled products can be found on the FDA website*. FDA and the product manufacturers are working to determine the list of affected products, which may be extensive. Many companies have already announced whether their products include ingredients being recalled by Peanut Corporation of America, Georgia, and more companies are expected to make similar announcements. The current list of recall announcements from companies can be found at FDA website*.

  From the  FDA.

January 23, 2009:  A combination of epidemiological analysis and laboratory testing by state officials in Minnesota and Connecticut, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have enabled FDA to confirm that the sources of the outbreak of illnesses caused by Salmonella Typhimurium are peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Georgia processing plant.

Peanut butter is sold by PCA in bulk containers ranging in size from five (5) to 1,700 pounds.  The peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to product sold by the tanker container.  Neither of these products is sold directly to consumers.

However, through its investigation, FDA has determined that PCA distributed potentially contaminated product to more than 70 consignee firms, for use as an ingredient in hundreds of different products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream.  Companies all over the country that received product from PCA have issued voluntary recalls of their products.  FDA has created a searchable database for these products, which can be found at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm, Identification of products subject to recall is continuing and this list is updated frequently.

Technorati Tags: Salmonella Outbreak,Peanut Butter,Peanut Corporation of America,Keebler,CDC,FDA,King Nut