PEANUT BUTTER RECALL EXPANDS

Like everyone else, I love to be right - yes, even when I predict bad news. Please don't take that to mean that I want more of the U.S. food supply to be unhealthy or people to become ill. But after following food recalls for years, you get a sense about these things.

So if you read my previous post, you will see that I expected an expansion of the ongoing Trader Joe's peanut butter recall - before any expansion was announced. And, yes, it has happened.

It turns out that the company that makes this product for TJ's is Sunland Inc., which, as I suspected, also make peanut - and almond - butter for other retailers. Now it has had to recall these as well. The recall covers multiple products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012 because these may be contaminated with the Salmonella bacteria that are making people ill in many U.S. states. There is such a long list of the products, I suggest you check them at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall site: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/.

You may want to tell your friends and relatives - especially those with young children, or, who are elderly (the population groups most vulnerable to Salmonella illness) about this recall. I did a mini-check yesterday of people who shop at Trader Joe's and buy the recalled peanut butter. It is amazing how many people had not heard of the recall and had not checked their supply.

You may also want to alert anyone you know living overseas at U.S. army bases and diplomatic missions who have access to, and buy U.S. manufactured products. I remember during several past recalls I found that such people may be totally isolated from the recall information alert system - yes, in spite of the internet.

To your good health,
TSF