On Saturday, January 18, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised consumers to avoid eating any products containing peanut butter or peanut paste until it can determine how many have been contaminated. The FDA warning says this advisory does not include jars of peanut butter sold in grocery stores, only products that were made with peanut butter, such as crackers.

More than 450 people have been poisoned, and five people have died, as the result on of a Salmonella outbreak. A sixth death may be linked to the outbreak.

The FDA said its investigators found contamination in a Blakely, Ga., peanut-processing plant owned by Lynchburg, Va.-based Peanut Corp. of America. They have not confirmed the contamination at the plant is the same strain that caused the Salmonella outbreak. The plant suspended operations this week while investigators look for clues.

Normally any kind of salmonella contamination would be destroyed in the processing of peanuts for peanut butter as the peanuts are roasted to about 350 degrees.

Peanut Corp. of America on Friday expanded its recall of peanut butter for bulk distribution which is believed to be the source of the contamination. The company had previously recalled 21 lots of peanut butter produced on or after July 1, 2008.

Late Friday, Kellogg announced it is recalling cookies and crackers made with peanut butter as a precaution. This includes about 33,000 cases of cookies, and 7 million cases of crackers from grocery shelves.

Kellogg is also asking consumers who possess recalled products to destroy them. Consumers wishing to receive a refund may do so by calling the customer service number listed on the recall notice.

These are the products Kellog has told retailers to recall and customers to destroy:

• Austin Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.

• Austin Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut ButterSandwich Crackers — all sizes.

• Austin Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.


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• Austin Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches — all sizes.

• Austin Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers.

• Austin Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.

• Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter — all sizes.

• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.

• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.

• Austin Quality FoodsCookie/Cracker Pack.

• Austin Quality FoodsVariety Pack.

• Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.

• Keebler Toast & PB'n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.

• Keebler Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers — all sizes.

• Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce).

• Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce).