Peanut butter food poisoning cases top 500
Source of Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28864316/ List of
recalled cookies, cakes and other treats continues to expand
msnbc.com
staff and news service reports updated 6:39 p.m. PT, Mon.,
Jan. 26, 2009 Confirmed
cases of salmonella infection linked to tainted peanut butter continue to
grow, rising to 501 in 43 states, according to latest figures from federal
health officials. New
cases were reported as of late Sunday by states involved in the outbreak,
including The
mounting numbers of foodborne illness have been
accompanied by a deluge of recalled cakes, crackers, cookies, ice cream, energy
bars and more from dozens of manufacturers and retailers who bought peanut
butter and peanut paste products from a Blakely, Even companies not linked to
the tainted products made at the Peanut Corp. of To
help consumers, the Food and Drug Administration has set up a searchable
list of recalled peanut products on its Web site. No major brands of
peanut butter sold in jars have been implicated. Peanut
butter is not normally thought of as a high-risk product for salmonella
infection. The bacteria, a frequent source of food poisoning, are supposed to
be killed off in the roasting process. Officials say the bacteria remain
dormant in the peanut butter until eaten, when they start growing and cause
infection. Originally
the problem appeared limited to peanut butter shipped in big tubs to
institutional customers such as nursing homes. But then peanut paste was
implicated. Made from ground roasted peanuts, it is used as an ingredient in
dozens of other products sold directly to consumers. Investigators
from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are continuing to
look for a precise source of the contamination, a spokeswoman said. The Associated
Press contributed to this report. |
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