Smucker’s Uncrustables Sold To School Lunch Program Recalled

Schools throughout the United States may have received Smucker’s Uncrustable sandwiches that contained contaminated peanut butter linked to a recent salmonella outbreak, which has resulted in the recall of many different peanut products in recent weeks.

A Smucker’s Uncrustables recall has been issued for a “limited” production of the individually-packaged peanut butter sandwichers that were supplied in bulk packages to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program.

The sandwiches may pose a risk of salmonella poisoning due to the use of peanut butter that was processed by Sunland, Inc. at a New Mexico plant that was shut down amid a nationwide outbreak that sickened more than 35 people in 19 states.

Investigations by health officials have confirmed that salmonella was found at the peanut manufacturing facility and environmental samples taken from various surfaces were identified as likely to harbor bacteria.

As a result, over 200 products sold under various name brands have been recalled because they contain peanut butter from the plant, including Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, which has been identified in at least one food poisoning lawsuit as the cause for an illness suffered by an 8 year-old boy.

The J.M. Smucker Co. appears to have used the recalled peanut butter from Sunland Inc. in their “Uncrustable” sandwiches, which are pre-made peanut butter and jelly, pocket-like, circular sandwiches. The company indicates that the only sandwiches impacted by the recall are those produced for 72-count bulk packs distributed for school lunches.

There have not been any identification numbers released to target the potentially infected sandwiches, but schools have been asked to check if they have any of the remaining frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the recalled lots and to dispose of any remaining.

The company indicates that it tests all incoming peanut butter before distributing their sandwichs, and they maintain that there were no indications of possible contamination before shipping. However, a spokeswoman from Smucker’s released a statement that this recall is being initiated out of an abundance of caution to prevent expose of salmonella to young children.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning.

While most healthy adults typically recover from salmonella food poisoning after a few days or weeks, the infection may pose a particularly high risk for young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. In severe cases, salmonella Bredeney food poisoning may lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.