Health agency looks into 2 cases of food poisoning

Pair of Tulare County cases could be linked to national recall

Source of Article:  http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20090123/NEWS01/901230317

 

BY BRETT WILKISON • January 23, 2009

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The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency is investigating two separate cases of food poisoning to see if they are linked to the bacteria-tainted peanut butter products that were recalled this week by the federal government.

The cases involved two Tulare County residents stricken recently by salmonella food poisoning, according to Allison Lambert, spokeswoman for the Health and Human Services Agency.

County health officials said they could not disclose when the two people saw their doctors or when those doctors reported the consultations to the county's Communicable Diseases division, citing patient privacy laws.

Lambert also couldn't confirm whether either person had consumed peanut butter products recently.

But the county is working with state health investigators to see if the cases might be linked, Lambert said.

Test results expected Monday could confirm whether any bacteria-tainted products were the cause of the poisoning, she said.

The nationwide recall of peanut butter products was triggered earlier this week when federal Food and Drug Administration investigators traced salmonella-tainted edibles to a Georgia manufacturing plant owned by the Peanut Corporation of America. The plant produces peanut butter and peanut butter paste used in a host of products, including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and ice cream.

A salmonella outbreak believed to be linked to some products may have contributed to the deaths of six people and sickened more than 470 others in 43 states.

The recall, which has grown to more than 125 products and includes such major brands as General Mills, Kellogg, Kroger Co., PetSmart and Clif Bar & Co., has been focused on edibles made with peanut butter paste.

Peanut butter itself has so far not been a target.

 

 

 

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