There are plenty of things to be concerned about in the world today but the safety of our food shouldn’t be one of them. The latest food safety scare is once again salmonella, a group of bacteria that can pass from the feces of people or animals to other people or animals. So how did it get in our peanut butter? The FDA, CDC and state agencies are searching for clues to answer that very question.
The source of the outbreak has been traced to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America – a company that manufactures peanut butter and peanut paste. As noted by the FDA, a variety of different products could be contaminated including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and pre-packaged shelf-stable peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
While the FDA and various food companies are working hard to get these products off store shelves, take a look in your cabinet to see if you have anything that should be tossed (keep the bar code and contact the company – you can probably get your money back). For more information on questionable products, check the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html
And, if you think you may be feeling a bit under the weather but you aren’t sure why and wonder if you have been infected with salmonella, check the CDC website for more information about this bacteria: http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/salmonellosis_gi.html