A salmonella outbreak in the U.S. earlier this month caused by tainted peanut butter does not appear to have affected any area consumers, but several suspect products have been pulled from local grocery shelves and school cafeterias.
Goodrich Food Services Director Jean Kish said at the high school and middle school, cheese and crackers under the Austin and Keebler brands were recalled.
‘No other products we have are affected,? she noted. ‘Our goal is to make sure the food we feed our students is safe. We’ve had no complaints of illness ever.?
The district also buys ‘uncrustables,? packaged peanut butter sandwiches, but Kish said Smucker’s, the company that makes them, has issued a statement that their product is safe. Kish said the uncrustables and the recalled cheese and crackers are the only peanut products the district carries, due to many students having allergies to the legume.
In the Brandon School District, Food Services Director Suzanne Evenson didn’t have to do anything with the peanut butter recall, because a few years ago, she made the decision that the district would not serve any products made with peanuts because of the allergy problem.
‘We are peanut-restricted,? Evenson said. ‘Not peanut-free, because we allow parents to send peanut butter to school with their students, but we do not serve it, because of the number of allergies we’ve experienced in the past few years.?
Although she hasn’t had to take action this time, Evenson has experienced recalls in the past where she has had to remove items from the district’s food supply, including a beef recall nearly a year ago that prompted the removal of 12 cases of taco and spaghetti sauce.
When a food recall happens, Evenson said she receives an e-mail from the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as the vendors the school district purchases food from. Normally a hold is put on the products suspected, until it is determined the particular product has caused an outbreak. In most cases, she says, the food is thrown out immediately.
Neither Evenson nor Kish is sure what is causing more food recalls.
‘I don’t know why all of a sudden we’re getting so many,? said Kish. ‘Maybe they’re inspecting the plants more and have stricter guidelines for food safety, which is great.?
At Bueche’s Food World, 400 Ortonville Road, Manager Joe Dore said the Austin and Keebler brand cheese and crackers have been pulled from the shelves, as well as Zone Perfect chocolate peanut butter bars, CLIF protein bars that contained peanut butter, and some Lofthouse cookies made with peanut butter formerly found in the bakery section.
‘I would not take a chance of eating these,? Dore said. ‘Most stores allow for a refund, even if the package is opened. If you have a recalled item purchased from Bueche’s, we will give you a full refund if you bring it in.?
For a complete list of recalled items, visit http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm.