Peanut butter Salmonella outbreak leads to PCA recall and Kellogg Co.'s removal of products from shelves

LYNCHBURG, Va. The FDA has discovered positive samples of Salmonella in peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation of America's Blakely, Ga., facility, the PCA announced Friday. The peanut processing company produces and distributes bulk packages of peanut butter to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies.

The company is recalling all peanut butter produced on or after Aug. 8, 2008, and all peanut paste produced on or after Sept. 26, 2008, at the Georgia plant. The PCA has ceased production at the facility, and customers are instructed to call 1-877-564-7080 or visit peanutcorp.com for further instructions on what to do with the product.None of the potentially Salmonella-infected peanut butter is sold directly to consumers through retail stores. In the past four months, Salmonella has poisoned 410 people in 43 states. The FDA has not yet linked the positive peanut butter samples to the strains causing outbreaks of the illness in several states.Kellogg Co. announced a day after PCA's recall its removal of its Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter snacks from store shelves, due to the current outbreak. Kellogg discouraged its customers from eating their products until a full investigation is completed. The FDA, U.S. Department of Agriculture and state health officials are currently investigating the outbreak and attempting to trace its source.