Sisters affected by peanut butter recall

There has been a voluntary recall of certain kinds of almond butter and peanut butter that may be contaminated with salmonella.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified the potential contamination during routine testing at the manufacturing facility and notified nSPIRED Natural Foods, Inc. about the affected products. The company announced the voluntary recall of certain lots of Arrowhead Mills peanut butters, MaraNatha almond butters and peanut butters, and specific label nut butters packaged for Safeway, Kroger, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. The company has received reports of four illnesses that may be associated with these specific products.

NeighborImpact was informed of the recall through the Oregon Food Bank because since January 1, 2014, 950 cases of the product have been distributed to its regional food partners, including Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank and Bread of Life at Westside Church, Sisters Campus.

Naomi Rowe, operations manager with Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank said, "We didn't receive any of the contaminated products this month, but we did put up a sign warning people to check the dates on the jar lids if they picked up any of the items in previous months."

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.

If you purchased any of these products, go to the FDA's website (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm410533.htm) to check the UPC code and best-by date range of recalled retail lots. There is no need to return the product to the store where it was purchased, but consumers are urged to dispose of the recalled product and its container. Call the company at 1-800-937-7008 for a replacement or refund.

The almond and peanut butters in question are in pint-sized glass jars with a white label, which lists the ingredients and states "distributed by Oregon Food Bank." If you have any of these jars with a best-by date of July 21, 2015, or earlier on the jar lid, the FDA urges you to dispose of them.