American Peanut Council Working with FDA to Protect Consumer Safety

APC joined the FDA in urging consumers to postpone eating products that use peanut butter as an ingredient – such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream – pending information about which products are supplied by a PCA plant in Blakely, Georgia.

20/01/09 The American Peanut Council (APC) continues to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate which products may be affected by a manufacturer’s recall, and advises consumers that at this time, there is no indication that any national name brand jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores are linked to the recall by Georgia-based Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).

On Saturday, the APC joined the FDA in urging consumers to postpone eating products that use peanut butter as an ingredient – such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream – pending information about which products are supplied by a PCA plant in Blakely, Georgia. The plant does not manufacture or supply any retail peanut butter brands.

“The FDA and manufacturers are working hard to determine which products may be affected, and they have our full cooperation,” said Patrick Archer, President of the American Peanut Council. “In response to consumer questions, we can say that at this time, there is no indication that any national name brand jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores are linked to the recall.”

The FDA has traced one source of salmonella contamination to the Blakely plant, where the company manufactures peanut butter and peanut paste. PCA has announced a voluntary recall of all peanut butter produced at the plant on or after August 8, 2008, all peanut paste produced on or after September 26, 2008, and 21 lots of peanut butter produced on or after July 1, 2008.

While none of this product was sold at retail to the general public, some of the peanut butter and peanut paste manufactured by PCA are used as ingredients in other products. Some of the peanut butter is also distributed in bulk for further manufacturing into products containing peanut butter and to large institutions, such as nursing homes and hospitals.

The FDA is working closely with members of the food industry to publish a detailed list of implicated products as soon as possible. Consumers should visit www.fda.gov for a list of affected products in the days ahead. As the FDA has directed, consumers should also go to company and brand websites for further information about any specific products. Information about PCA’s recall can be found at www.peanutcorp.com. PCA has also set up a toll-free hotline number, 1-877-564-7080, to answer questions.

The APC is working in conjunction with the National Peanut Board, the grower research and promotion organization.