Peanut Butter, Almond Butter Recall Issued Due to Salmonella

Following at least four reported illnesses, government testing has revealed that several types of peanut butters and almond butters manufactured by nSpired Natural Foods, Inc. may be contaminated with salmonella, resulting in a recall for a number of products. 

An nSpired Natural Foods Peanut Butter recall was announced by the FDA on August 19, affecing a variety of nut butters sold under the Arrowhead Mills and MaraNatha labels, as well as some private labels.

The nut butters have been sold at major grocery store chains, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Safeway.

The recall came after the FDA conducted testing on some of the products and detected the presence of salmonella. The company also received four reports of salmonella food poisoning that may be related to the products.

The recall affects a number of Arrowhead Mills, MaraNatha, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Safeway label peanut butters and almond butters, including some labeled organic and/or raw, meaning unpasteurized. The 43 products being recalled have use by dates ranging from December 2014 through July 2015. A complete list of affected products, UPC numbers and use-by dates is available in the FDA’s recall announcement linked above.

The peanut butter and almond butter products were sold in the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, and Dominican Republic. They were also available for sale over the internet.

Salmonella infections may pose serious and sometimes fatal infections among those with weakened immune systems such as children, the elderly and pregnant women. Symptoms for healthy individuals typically consist of fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In some cases the salmonella infection can spread to the blood stream resulting in more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.

Salmonella bacterium has over 2,300 serotypes that are impossible to see from the naked eye. The CDC estimates that Salmonella infections account for roughly 1.4 million food borne illnesses per year and roughly 400 fatalities annually in the United States alone.

The recall comes just two years after a salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter from Sunland Inc. led to more than 40 illnesses across 20 states. it also resulted in that company, which focused on organic peanut butter, being cited for a number of deficiencies at its New Mexico factory. The company was also the target of food poisoning lawsuits.

In 2008, a peanut butter salmonella outbreak that sickened hundreds nationwide and led to at least eight deaths was linked to the Peanut Corporation of America. In one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, hundreds of peanut products were removed from store shelves, school lunches, and affected everything from peanut butter to candy bars.

In this latest recall, consumers are being urged to dispose of any potentially affected product and its container. They can call the company at (800) 937-7008 for a refund or replacement.