FDA Update on Salmonella Outbreak Linked to All Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Certain Lot Numbers of Great Value Brand Peanut Butter

Product testing by several states has now confirmed that Peter Pan peanut butter and certain Great Value brand peanut butter are the sources of the foodborne illness outbreak of Salmonella that began in August 2006. Opened jars from people who were sickened in New York, Oklahoma and Iowa tested positive for Salmonella. To date 329 individuals have become ill from consuming the contaminated peanut butter, and 51 of those persons were hospitalized.

The voluntary recall includes all containers, varieties and types of Peter Pan peanut butter products purchased from May 2006 through present. All Peter Pan products are manufactured in a single ConAgra facility located in Sylvester, Georgia that is identified as 2111; the number 2111 is included in the lot codes for all products manufactured at this particular facility. Great Value products are manufactured at several different facilities including the ConAgra facility in Sylvester, Georgia. Only Great Value products with lot numbers beginning with 2111, indicating they were manufactured at ConAgra’s Sylvester, Georgia facility, are included in the current peanut butter recall. The lot numbers beginning with 2111 should be on the lids of product.

We have learned that of the people who have tested positive, 2/3 have had positive Salmonella stool cultures and 1/3 have been positive Salmonella urine cultures. We have also learned that of the jars that have tested positive for Salmonella, that peanut butter was produced over several months, showing a systemic problem within the ConAgra facility.

We have been contacted by over 3,700 people to date.  Nearly 2,500 have left over jars of peanut butter with product code 2111.  Most were never cultured for Salmonella, but all report classic symptoms of a Salmonella infection.