125 PRODUCTS RECALLED FOR SALMONELLA; FDA PUBLISHES LIST OF TAINTED PEANUT BUTTER PRODUCTS; WAL-MART BAKERY PRODUCTS, MAJOR SNACK FOOD BRANDS & DOG BISCUITS ON LIST

CALIFORNIA HAS MOST CASES IN NATION, CDC REPORTS

January 19, 2009 (Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has created a searchable list of products and brands associated with the expanded recall of products containing peanut butter made by Peanut Corporation of America(PCA). This list is available on the FDA website at: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm and will be updated on a regular basis. To date, more than 470 cases of salmonella have been linked to the tainted peanut butter in 43 states and Canada, including 22 hospitalizations and 5 deaths. According to the Center for Disease Control, California has the most cases of any state in the nation.

Because identification of products subject to recall is continuing, the FDA urges consumers to first visit FDA's website to determine if commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter/peanut paste-containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream) are subject to recall. If consumers do not find the product of interest on FDA's website they may wish to call the toll-free number listed on most food packaging or visit the company's website.

PCA manufacturers peanut butter and peanut paste , a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts. Both distributed to food manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many commercially produced products including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and ice cream. In addition, PCA peanut butter is distributed to and institutionally served in such settings as long-term care facilities and cafeterias.

The expanded recall list is quite extensive and includes major snack food brands such as Keebler, Famous Amos, Little Debbie, Hyvee and others as well as some cookies and fudge containing peanut butter or peanut paste sold through Wal-Mart bakeries.

Major brand-name peanut butter sold in jars are not believed to be affected.
Consumers are urged to discard all products containing the tainted peanut butter or peanut paste. If a product is not listed, you can call the phone number for the product manufacturer listed n the label. If you can't determine whether the product is safe, the FDA urges the public not to consume questionable peanut butter products and to discard them instead.

For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html