Kellogg Pulls Crackers Possibly Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Kellogg Co. asked stores to stop selling its peanut butter sandwich crackers until it can be found out if the peanut paste is contaminated with salmonella.

The national salmonella outbreak has sickened over 430 people in 43 states and may have been a contributing factor in five deaths.

Lynchburg, Va.-based Peanut Corp. of America, where Kellogg gets some of its paste, has recalled 21 lots of peanut butter made since July 1 at its plant in Blakely, Ga., because of possible contamination from the bacteria.

Kellogg has asked stores nationwide to remove the crackers sold under the Austin and Keebler brand name, known as a “stop-sale” and is not as serious as a recall, and urges consumers to not eat those products until the investigation into Peanut Corp. has been completed.

Kellog is not going so far as issuing a recall, as Kellogg said it hasn’t found problems or received complaints about the products. “We are taking these voluntary actions out of an abundance of caution,” said Kellogg CEO David Mackay.

The products being removed include Austin and Keebler toasted peanut butter sandwich crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwich crackers, cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers, and peanut butter-chocolate sandwich crackers.

Health officials in Minnesota and Virginia have both linked two deaths to the outbreak and Idaho has reported one. All five were adults who had salmonella when they died, though their causes of death haven’t been determined. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the recent outbreak may have been a contributing factor.

There are about 2,000 types of salmonella, the nation’s leading cause of food poisoning. About 40,000 cases are reported each year.

CDC officials say the bacteria in this outbreak has been genetically fingerprinted as the typhimurium type, which is one of the most common sources of salmonella food poisoning. Salmonella typhimurium is a problem the occurs year round because it’s found in meat and eggs, unlike some seasonal types that are associated with vegetables.

Peanut Corp. of America said that the peanut butter being recalled is made for distribution to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies. None is sold through retail stores. The peanut butter is sold under the brand name Parnell’s Pride and by the King Nut Co. as King Nut.

Nationally, all the illnesses began between Sept. 3 and Dec. 29, but most were sickened after Oct. 1. Most people develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.

The peanut butter contamination comes almost two years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which contributed to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.