Peter Pan peanut butter is in short supply in Emporia.
“We had it all off our shelves before we opened yesterday morning,” said Nancy Garcia, assistant manager at Reeble’s Country Mart North. “We do not know when they will be shipping more.”
The store carries only competitors’ brands at the moment, because all Peter Pan jars at Reeble’s were marked with the numbers “2111.” Those numbers were on a batch of peanut butter that may be linked to a foodborne illness, salmonella.
Great Value peanut butter lids containing that same number also have been recalled, along with the Peter Pan brand product. Great Value is a Wal-Mart house brand.
The products’ manufacturer, ConAgra Foods, said in a news release that it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate the claim, which originated in a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The allegedly contaminated products carry lids printed with the beginning product code 2111. ConAgra said that Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected by the ConAgra recall.
The company has added telephone lines to its consumer affairs division to handle questions from customers. The toll-free number is: (866) 344-6970.
Garcia said that only six or eight people actually had returned the product to the store.
“We have fielded numerous, numerous calls,” she said.
At the Dillon store, manager Dave Kindhart said only a few consumers had returned Peter Pan peanut butter for refunds.
“It hasn’t been a big issue,” Kindhart said. “We just pulled it off the shelf.”
Great Value peanut butter can be returned to Wal-Mart, according to information from walmartfacts.com. The company is not allowing news media in stores for interviews or photography, and is requiring that all information come from Wal-Mart media headquarters, which has an automatic response that directs callers to the facts website.
The site states that Wal-Mart has directed stores and clubs to immediately remove all suspect products from ConAgra.
“As an additional precautionary measure, we have also put a sales restriction on the products in question so that, should one inadvertently be scanned, a restriction notice will come up for the cashier,” the press information stated.
Customers may return the product to a Wal-Mart store for a full refund.
Since the recall announcement was made, many people have called The Gazette with questions about the peanut butter problem. The majority of the callers reported they had not suffered any symptoms from eating the “2111” product. Others do, however.
The salmonella bacteria affects the gastro-intestinal tract and produces a wide range of symptoms, according to Francis Garcia of the managed care division of the Flint Hills Community Health Center. Young children, people over 60, and those who have complicating illnesses are more at-risk from eating the contaminated food.
Symptoms may surface within six to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Meat, eggs, chicken and fish are among the common carriers of salmonella.
“It may feel like a simple upset stomach for some people,” Francis Garcia said.
Diarrhea often is present, sometimes with stomach cramps. More serious cases may involve nausea, vomiting, fever, blood in the stool and headaches.
“Some people may have a rash,” she said.
The germs can stay alive even in frozen foods, but careful cooking will kill it.
“The illness can also be passed from person to person,” she said.
Pet turtles, lizards and other animals can carry the germs and cause illness in humans.
The health department recommends not taking medication to stop the diarrhea unless the symptoms are more severe and a doctor has prescribed something.
“The diarrhea is the way your body gets rid of the germ,” Garcia said.
She recommended that the patient get bed rest and drink sports drinks — or Pedialite, for children — to replace body fluids that are lost.
Food can be introduced 12 to 24 hours later, or when the patient feels better.
Garcia said that information about the peanut butter recall should be translated into Spanish and posted at the department and in stores by the end of the day. Attempts are being made to translate the information into Somali, too.
ConAgra recommends discarding the peanut butter, but saving the jar lid. For a full refund, return Peter Pan or Great Value product lids to ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103. The consumer should include his or her name and address with the product lid.