On May 20, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that J.M. Smucker Co. is recalling certain Jif® peanut butter products sold in the U.S. because of its connection to a multistate Salmonella outbreak. To date, there have been fourteen cases of illness and two hospitalizations resulting from the Salmonella outbreak.
Epidemiological and traceback investigations strongly indicate that the Salmonella contamination is linked to certain Jif peanut butter products produced at the J.M. Smucker company factory in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the CDC, five of the five people who tested positive for Salmonella Senftenberg infections reported having eaten peanut butter and four of the five specifically reported having eaten Jif brand peanut butter products before becoming sick. Interestingly, in 2010, the FDA detected the presence of the same strain of Salmonella responsible for the current outbreak, after conducting environmental safety testing in the Lexington, Kentucky Smucker’s Co. facility.
Consequently, J.M. Smucker company is voluntarily recalling various Jif brand peanut butter products which may have become contaminated with Salmonella in their facility. The recalled products include all Jif brand peanut butter products with the lot code numbers between 1274425 – 2140425 with the first seven digits ending with 425. A photo of the recalled product packaging and a list of the UPC codes can be found here.
Salmonella monocytogenes are bacteria which can cause moderate to severe gastrointestinal illness, inflicting symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. While most people are able to recover from Salmonella infection without complications, it can pose a particular danger to infants, elderly people, and anyone with otherwise weakened immune systems. Some people who contract a serious case of Salmonella infection require antibiotic treatment.
The recalled Jif peanut butter products have a two-year shelf life and thus, may still be in people’s pantries. Consumers are urged to check their pantries to see if they are in possession of any the recalled items and in the case that they are, they are directed to throw it away or return it to its place of purchase.
The investigation of the Salmonella outbreak connected with Jif peanut butter products is still ongoing. For updates concerning the investigation, visit the FDA’s website.
