Massive Peanut Butter Recall Issued After People Begin Falling Ill

Jif peanut butter is being recalled for fear of potential salmonella contamination.

J.M. Smucker announced the voluntary recall of certain Jif products on Friday.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, 14 people have been reported sick from salmonella in cases linked to eating Jif peanut butter.

The recall includes the creamy and crunchy varieties of Jif in multiple sizes.

Cases have been reported in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The FDA said the products being recalled could have been distributed in other states as well.

“Consumers, restaurants and retailers should not eat, sell or serve any recalled Jif brand peanut butter that have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425, only if the first seven digits end with 425,” the FDA warned.

The FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg infections linked to certain Jif peanut butter products produced at the J.M. Smucker Company facility in Lexington, Kentucky. https://t.co/tflb2yhDFh pic.twitter.com/mb1SdpHJIb

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) May 21, 2022

Lot code numbers are found near the expiration date for the products.

The FDA noted that because the peanut butter has a two-year product life, consumers should check their pantries and shelves for products that may have been purchased over the past two years.

“FDA recommends that if you have used the recalled Jif brand peanut butter that have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425 and the first seven digits end with 425, you should wash and sanitize surfaces and utensils that could have touched the peanut butter,” the FDA said.

“If you or someone in your household ate this peanut butter and have symptoms of salmonellosis, please contact your healthcare provider.”

The case was investigated by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“CDC’s review of epidemiological information indicates that five out of five people reported consuming peanut butter and four of the five people specifically reported consuming different varieties of Jif brand peanut butter prior to becoming ill,” the FDA reported.

The FDA said that a 2010 sample collected at the Smucker Company plant in Lexington, Kentucky, “matches the strain causing illnesses in this current outbreak.”

You know what's pathetic about the @Jif recall? The fact that @smuckers has no clear instructions on how to get a refund. They just tell you to throw the product away.

It's **almost** as if they expect not to reimburse customers for selling them tainted food products…

— Lrak Nairb (@lrak_nairb) May 21, 2022

“Epidemiologic evidence indicates that Jif brand peanut butter produced in the J.M. Smucker Company facility located in Lexington, Kentucky, is the likely cause of illnesses in this outbreak,” the FDA wrote.