Salmonella Threat—

Health District Issues Peanut Butter Warning

By John Voket

The Newtown Regional Health District, and food service inspector Suzette LeBlanc, are urging all Newtown residents to dispose of any jars of Peter Pan and Wal-Mart’s Great Value Peanut Butter manufactured by ConAgra Foods, Inc, after those brands were tied to outbreaks of salmonella Tennessee in 39 states, including Connecticut.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest update from February 15 listed two documented cases in the state.

Ms LeBlanc said the “classic symptoms” tied to a salmonella Tennessee infection include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.

“The reactions can come on anywhere from 12 to 72 hours after ingesting the contaminated food,” Ms LeBlanc said. “And the effects can last anywhere from four to seven days.”

She said the elderly and infants are more likely to suffer more acutely from the infection, possibly to the extent requiring hospitalization.

A spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Health contacted Tuesday said the number of individuals reporting in the state had not changed in the ensuing five days since the CDC’s last report.

On February 15, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection issued an advisory stating in part: ConAgra Foods, Inc, one of the country’s leading packaged food companies, is voluntarily recalling all varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter (Wal-Mart store brand) beginning with product code “2111” for possible salmonella contamination.

ConAgra is working with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to a report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta that indicated these products may be linked to this outbreak.

According to the DCP, the product code on the affected products can be found imprinted on the lids of both the Peter Pan and Great Value jars. The affected product was made by ConAgra in a single facility in Sylvester, Ga.

Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected by the recall.

“Although none of ConAgra’s tests have indicated the presence of salmonella in these products, we are warning people against eating certain jars of Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter because of the risk of illness,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr, said. “My Department’s food inspectors have determined that the implicated lots have been sold in Connecticut and we are working with retailers to ensure that the product will be removed from sale as quickly as possible.”

Consumers may return the product to the point of purchase for a refund. Consumers may also obtain a refund from ConAgra directly if they choose to discard any unused portion of the product by saving and mailing the product lid to: ConAgra Foods, PO Box 57078, Irvine, CA 92619-7078.

This outbreak is thought to have started in August, and has affected nearly 300 people across 39 states. It is the first known salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter in this country. The largest numbers of cases were reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri.

In related news, a report associating the death of a 6-year-old Middletown girl from the outbreak was retracted after the local health district received preliminary test results late last week.

Middletown Health Director Joseph Havlicek said that although the cause of death is yet to be determined, he assures parents and the public that it there is a very high probability that it was not from a communicable disease nor is from salmonella Tennessee bacteria.

“At this point in time, given all of the information including test results that we have received from the attending physician, I don’t believe that the child’s illness was of a contagious nature,” Mr Havlicek said, adding that the exact cause of death will probably not be known until an autopsy is completed in about two weeks.

The CDC reported that interviews comparing foods eaten by ill and well persons show that consumption of Peter Pan peanut butter was statistically associated with illness and therefore the most likely source of the outbreak. Although the study did not specifically implicate Great Value brand peanut butter, it is manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter and therefore is believed to be at similar risk of contamination.

Among 185 patients for whom clinical information is available, 44 (24 percent) were hospitalized. Onset dates, which are known for 171 patients, ranged from August 1, 2006, to January 30, 2007.

The salmonella germ is actually a group of bacteria that can cause diarrheal illness in humans, the CDC site said. They are microscopic living creatures that pass from the feces of people or animals, to other people or other animals.

There are many different kinds of salmonella bacteria. Salmonella serotype Typhimurium and salmonella serotype Enteritidis are the most common in the United States.

Salmonella has been known to cause illness for more than 100 years. They were discovered by American scientist David E. Salmon (1850–1914), for whom they are named.