CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Several major food and snack companies that offer products with peanut butter, including Lance, Tasty Baking Co., Hershey Co. and ConAgra Foods Inc., issued statements concerning the safety of their products in light of the ongoing salmonella food poisoning outbreak has been responsible for the deaths of at least six people, sickened nearly 500 people in 43 states and hospitalized at least 90 people. None of these companies uses the source implicated in the outbreak.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies have indicated that [image-nocss] Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) is the focus of an investigation concerning a salmonella outbreak caused by tainted peanut butter. Lynchburg, Va.-based PCA has issued a voluntary recall of peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Ga., processing facility.
Lance Inc. said in a statement that no Lance sandwich crackers containing peanut butter are affected by the recent peanut butter recall. It added that all Lance information and recent testing reinforce that there is no concern with the quality or safety of peanut butter used in Lance sandwich crackers.
The Food Safety Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture visited Lance's Charlotte, N.C., bakery on Thursday. After reviewing the Lance food safety programs and records specific to peanut butter, Lance was given a clean bill of health. Lance manufactures 100% of the peanut butter used in its sandwich crackers and does not receive peanut butter from the supplier involved in the recall.
Lance said that it enforces a very stringent food safety program with the raw ingredients and final product coming in and out of Lance facilities, particularly with peanut butter. Lance regularly conducts extensive microbial testing of its peanut butter.
Headquartered in Charlotte, Lance manufactures and markets snack foods throughout much of the United States and other parts of North America. Products include sandwich crackers and cookies, potato chips, crackers, cookies, other snacks, sugar wafers, nuts, restaurant style crackers and candy. It sells products under the Lance, Cape Cod, Archway and Tom's brand names along with a number of private-label and third-party brands.
Tasty Baking has announced that all Tastykake products, including the Peanut Butter Kandy Kake, are safe for consumption and not included in the national recall program.
The company said that it does not have a supplier relationship with PCA, and its corporate quality assurance program includes rigorous internal testing of ingredients, including peanut butter, for any bacteria, such as Salmonella or contamination.
Philadelphia-based Tasty Baking is a major baker of snack cakes, pies, cookies and donuts.
Hershey also issued a statement. It said that no products made by company, including items and brands in the Reese's franchise, are affected by the recent recall related to peanut butter. The Hershey, Pa.-based company does not purchase any peanut butter, peanuts or peanut products from the PCA. Peanut butter for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is made in Hershey facilities under the most stringent safety and quality standards. Consumers with any questions are being directed to a hotline.
ConAgra said that none of its products that contain any peanut- or peanut-based ingredients are associated with the federal government's ongoing salmonella investigation. This includes all of the products the company makes under its branded product lines, including Peter Pan Peanut Butter, as well as the products made for its food service and store brand customers. Neither ConAgra nor any of its suppliers purchase any ingredients from PCA.
Also, Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra is not among the 30 companies that have been asked by the FDA to consider holding or recalling their peanut-containing products due to this ongoing salmonella investigation.
Click herefor the FDA's webpage on the outbreak.
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