According to the FDA, major national brands of peanut butter in jars that consumers find on store shelves are not affected by the PCA recall. However, there are other products, such as crackers, cookies and ice cream that may contain the recalled peanut butter or peanut paste. The identification of those products is ongoing therefore the FDA is urging people to visit its Web site to see the most up-to-date recall list. A link to the FDA Web site can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health Web site at www.idph.state.il.us.
In Illinois, there have been six cases of Salmonella Typhimurium matching the national outbreak. Those cases were identified in Fayette, Franklin, Lake, St. Clair, Will and Winnebago counties. The date of onset for illnesses in Illinois range from October 4 – December 17, and ages of patients range from 2-years to 73-years. One person was hospitalized due to illness and no deaths have occurred in Illinois.
Even though the cases of Salmonella in Illinois do match the genetic fingerprint of the national outbreak, at this time, the food histories of patients are not clear enough to definitively say the source of illness in Illinois is peanut butter. The Illinois Department of Public Health continues to work with local health departments and the CDC on this outbreak investigation.
Symptoms of salmonellosis, which last from 24 hours to 12 days, include headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, chills, fever, nausea and dehydration. They usually appear six to 72 hours after ingestion. People who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter should consult their health care providers.
If you have purchased any of the recalled products, throw them away. If you have questions, call the consumer hotline phone number that may be found on the product packaging to get information directly from the product manufacturer.