RTW RECALLS JIF PEANUT BUTTER DUE TO POSSIBLE SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION

Roadtown Wholesale Group of Companies has announced that it will be undertaking a decontamination process in its warehouse and retail shelves, following the recall of a number of JIF Peanut Butter products due to Salmonella contamination.

This was confirmed in a recent media release by the local supermarket which urged all consumers with affected products to return them to any Riteway Food Market location for a full refund with or without a receipt.

The release said, “If you feel that you have been affected by this Public Health Alert, feel free to contact Roadtown Wholesale Group of Companies at 347-1050.”

The announcement by Roadtown Wholesale follows an immediate recall by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which advised all consumers, restaurants, and retailers not to eat, sell, or serve any recalled JIF brand peanut butter products that have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425, only if the first seven digits’ end with 425.

The FDA warned that the product has a two-year shelf life and therefore urged consumers to check any JIF peanut butter products within their homes.

Recommendation by FDA

The FDA also advised residents with the affected products to wash and sanitize surfaces and utensils that could have touched the peanut butter.

They said, “If you or someone in your household ate this peanut butter and have symptoms of salmonellosis, please contact your healthcare provider.”

Investigations link outbreak to 2010 strain

The FDA along with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said they are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to certain JIF peanut butter products produced at the J.M. Smucker Company facility in Lexington, Kentucky.

Initial findings from the CDC’s review of epidemiological information indicate that five out of five people reported consuming peanut butter and four of the five people specifically reported consuming different varieties of JIF brand peanut butter prior to becoming ill.

The FDA also conducted a Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis on an environmental sample collected at the Lexington, J.M. Smucker Company facility in 2010. According to the FDA, the analysis showed that this 2010 environmental sample matches the strain-causing illnesses in this current outbreak.