Buyer beware. The peanut or almond butter in your pantry may be tainted.
The limited voluntary recall of salmonella-tainted peanut and almond butter has expanded beyond Trader Joe’s stores to include more than 70 products sold nationwide.
Stores that carry products named in the recall include Target, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, GNC and Meijer. The almond and peanut butters were manufactured between May 1 and Sept. 24. Sunland, Inc. is the manufacturer of the peanut and almond butter, which are sold under a variety of brand names, including Target's Archer Farms brand and Earth Balance.
Thirty people across 19 states have reported salmonella food poisoning that was later linked to the contaminated nut butters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of those cases was in Illinois. About two-thirds of the illness were reported in children younger than 10. And, four people were hospitalized.
Salmonella symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can cause particularly nasty infections in the very young or old and people with weakened immune systems.
"There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter everyday," Jimmie Shearer, president and CEO of Sunland, Inc. said in a statement. "While FDA, CDC, and State Health Agencies investigate to confirm the cause of illnesses reported, as a precautionary step, we have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012. If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it."
Read the full list of recalled products.
Local Editor Carrie Frillman contributed to this report.
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