Several Jif brand peanut butter products are being recalled in Canada because of a Salmonella outbreak in the United States that has been traced to the manufacturing plant.
The recalled products have been sold at retailers nationwide in Canada, as well as online, according to the recall notice posted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Smucker Foods of Canada Corp. is recalling the products following a recall in the United States by the J.M. Smucker Company. The recalled products were produced in the company’s Lexington, KY, facility, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
No illnesses have been confirmed in Canada as of the posting of the recall notice today.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that 14 people across 12 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg.
There is great concern that consumers may have unused portions of the implicated peanut butter in their homes. To view photographs of the products subject to recall in Canada, click here.
Consumers can use the following label information to determine whether they have the recalled peanut butter. If consumers have products matching the above description in their possession, they should dispose of it immediately.
About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.
Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.
Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.
