How does salmonella get into commercial peanut paste?

Here's a link..

Here is a link that might be useful: King Nut

Although you say it in jest, there is a slight possibility. This morning they were talking about it and the examination is expanding. Not just the plant, but the farm where the peanuts are coming from so they're suspicious it could be more wide-spread (no pun intended). If the farm was the contaminant, that could mean that if your chocolate had peanuts in it, well... time will tell.

I just made 4 dozen buckeyes last night - with Jif.

This peanut butter thing keeps expanding.

Here is a link that might be useful: Recall

also recalled

clif bars with peanut butter

Here is a link that might be useful: clif bars

From what I've divined at the grocery store it seems that things made with or from pb products are the things more at risk not jars of pb themselves. My info could be wrong but that's what I'm hearing.

Are Reese's Peanut Butter Chips safe? Was going to use them in cookies.

This article raises two questions for me...

(1) The plant is owned and operated by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA); the FDA says it gets its peanuts from both domestic and international sources.... two guesses what that international source would be....

(2) Sudlof says roasting of peanuts, if done correctly, is supposed to kill any salmonella that might be in the product. So should we stay away from raw peanuts? I've always known that peanuts were salmonella carriers, but I don't know how (soil?).

Anyone up for learning to grow/farm our own?! Sheesh, whats next, flour and sugar?

Here is a link that might be useful: article

This whole thing makes me nervous.

If they think that the source may be the problem then who is to say what other food products, like PB, may be using the same source ?

Guess we won't be seeing peanuts any time soon as the star ingredient of our virtual dinners! LOL

Jesse, that raises a red flag for me, too and the good possibility of unsanitary conditions at the Georgia factory. The decline in labor practices and lack of regulation and oversight at the FDA have created a perfect storm.

It is scary how little they know.

This is weird...Monday night I had a handful of peanuts I bought from a gourmet peanut place in Savannah over the past weekend.

Tuesday morning and all day, I was sooooo incredibly sick (from both ends...sorry TMI) and I haven't been able to keep any solids down since Monday. Last night, my insides felt just painful. I didn't get an ounce of sleep, everything was just cramped and sore and no matter what position I tried to sleep in, it just hurt.

I wondered about the nuts too, but my husband had some and he's fine. If this doesn't get better by tomorrow, I'm going to the doctor. I'm able to keep some liquids down, so that's better than before. I've had intestinal viruses before, but nothing like this. Bleh.

Gardengrl, so sorry you have not been well.

I have a giant jar of PB that I bought awhile back and we've been eating. No one sick yet, so I guess that jar is okay. Once it's gone, I'm not sure what I'll do.

I heard a piece on NPR this morning about the sentencing of the people in China who added melamine to the milk. Two were sentenced to death. Six babies died. A tainted food source is no joke.

Gardengrl I'd send the peanuts to the CDC along with purchase info...

Jessy, you think so, even if my DH had some and he was fine?

It could have been anything really. We were on our way back from Savannah on Monday and ate out along the way, so it could have been that (although DH ate the same things I did). Plus, a few people at my job have been sick with intestinal bugs the past 6-8 weeks.

I just thought it odd, but who knows.

I dunno Kathy. You gotta go with your gut feeling (darfc).....

gardengrl, I agree with Jessy that it is your call. Quite a few people have gotten sick from what I have read. But I will also tell you that the stomach virus is going around in quite a few places including my state (VA). My Mom became very ill extremely fast and was for four days. I took her to the doctor on the third day (which wasn't easy) and she was diagnosed with Norovirus and they said they had been bombarded with numerous cases.

I hope you are feeling better.

Gardengrl, he may have been exposed to a weaker strain earlier and thus been immune to the rough one. He might not have even noticed getting it.

Feel better!

I've read that it's fun and easy to grow peanuts, but my sunny patch belongs to tomatoes so I can't try it...

Here's a link you might be interested in. The president of the organization was interviewed on our local TV channel this morning. She lost her son 16 years ago to e.Coli.

Food contamination in this country is getting more and more commonplace. What's the answer here? Who's in charge?

Here is a link that might be useful: Safe Tables Our Priority

Why Kathy I hope you're feeling better soon!

I too don't understand why peanuts have salmonella. I remember a few years ago when it was the Wal-mart brand of peanut butter was recalled. Ricky Smiley did a funny "thing" about that... Glad that jars are OK for now since I'm having PB and J at work these days as an alternative to fast food.

Received this notice from a friend in my email today. Pass it on to your friends with fur kids.

Hope your feeling better Kathy!

David

Here is a link that might be useful: petsmart

Sorry you were sick Kathy! I hate stomach bugs no matter where they come from :-x

so what's the latest? I'm making the kids lunches:
Q: Is peanut butter under suspicion or ok???

This link may be helpful to some. Others may find fault, whatever.

Here is a link that might be useful: PB

I think a lot of things are being recalled, they aren't necessarily tainted but I think it's wise to not take a chance on them. That's why Kellogg's recalled their Keebler crackers and cookies before any product was found that was a problem. I know they found a package of the Austin brand peanut butter and cheese crackers with that strain of salmonella here in Michigan in Kalamazoo.

My own favorite, Peter Pan Honey Roasted was the subject of a salmonella recall a couple of years ago, but Peter Pan has issued a press release stating that they don't get any of their peanut products from the company in question, so I'm happily eating that. I don't know about Jif, Skippy, etc.

I very seldom buy the prepackaged cookies, crackers, etc., but I bought some of the Keelber cheese crackers with peanut butter for Bud and Makayla and called Amanda and told her to throw them away. I'll replace them with just plain cheese crackers or something, they were for Makayla's lunches at school.

Annie

Somehow I missed this reading the national papers this morning but stumbled across it in the 'Concord News'.

Does this make you angry, or what?! I realize we cannot catch every single problem that might occur in our food chain but this company seems, at face value based on this article, knowingly sold contaminated peanut product.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Georgia Plant Knew Peanuts Were Contaminated...

Kathy: Another thought ! Did you ever get checked for
Diverticulosis ?
Lou

Thanks for all the healing thoughts everyone! I don't think it was the nuts. I'm 100% better now and was after about 4-5 days. I ate some more of the nuts accidentally last weekend and I was fine, had some more this week and I was fine. Must have either been a bug or something else I ate. Scary thoughts though!

Lou, no not diverticulosis, although my mother had it and was miserable.

Thanks for posting this reminder. I just looked and the cheese crackers with peanut butter that we have been snacking on have been recalled. I have the huge pack from Sams and the kids have also been eating them. I wonder if that could be why I was so sick with what they thought could be an intestinal bug this last weekend and ended up in the hospital with IV and 3 courses of IV antibiotics. I am going to keep the wrapper and box and destroy all the left over crackers. I am scared to death,I have been giving these as snacks for the kids, they have a snack area and can get at them by themselves.

Stacie

Stacy, take them back to where you bought them..they will refund your money!