Nash Finch Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed In Seven States Due To Possible Health Risk

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 22 Jan 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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Nash Finch, the operator of stores named: SunMart Foods, Econofoods (excluding Wisconsin stores in Sturgeon Bay, Clintonville, Marquette, Holton and Iron Mountain), Prairie Market, Avanza Supermarket, Food Bonanza, Wholesale Food Outlet, Family Fresh Market, Family Thrift Center, and Pick'n Save (Ohio stores in Van Wert and Ironton only) is taking the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling the following products made in the bakery departments of its corporate operated stores because they contain peanut butter that was supplied by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) and has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella: Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mini Peanut Butter Cookies, Monster Cookies, Peanut Butter Grand Brownies, Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, Puppy Chow snack mix, Peanut Butter Rolls, Peanut Butter Rice Crisp Bar, Special K-Bar, Scotcheroos, Rolls and Cakes Iced with Peanut Butter Cream. All sell-by dates are included in this recall. The products are sold in various packaging and quantities and have a price label attached bearing one of the above identified store names. All items should be destroyed or returned to the store where purchased for a full refund.

The action was taken after Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), the company that supplies bulk peanut butter to Nash Finch, issued a recall of the peanut butter ingredient used to make the Nash Finch bakery products. The recall is a precautionary step because of an unresolved nationwide outbreak of salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare cases, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses, such as arterial infections (i.e. infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

The identified items, sold in Nash Finch stores in Colorado, Ohio, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Minnesota, have not been directly linked to the salmonella outbreak and there have been no reported cases of the illness from the identified items.

PCA has recalled a number of lots of the product after health inspectors found salmonella contamination in an already-opened container of peanut butter at a nursing home in Minnesota. Nash Finch had been shipped product from several of the lots. Production of these Nash Finch items has been suspended and stores instructed to remove baked goods that contained peanut butter from store shelves. No other Nash Finch bakery products are involved in this recall.

Consumers who have purchased any products covered by this recall are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Nash Finch has set up a Recall Hotline for customers having additional questions or concerns (800) 211-6999. Consumers with questions or concerns about their health should contact their doctor.

http://www.cdc.gov