Stores pull peanut butter, other spreads after salmonella scare

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Peanut butter lovers listen up. A jar of your favorite spread could make you sick.

Fears of salmonella contamination has one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of peanut butter pulling its products.

It may be a tasty treat, but a spoonful of your favorite peanut butter could result in a trip to the hospital.

After salmonella was detected in the peanut butter at a New Mexico factory, area grocers such as Whole Foods and Target were sent scrambling to clear the spread off their shelves.

“Through the national recall with peanut butter that have been pulled from the shelves, here at Whole Foods Market we definitely want to ensure the safety of all of our customers so any of the products that were a part of the national recall were pulled from the shelves,” Erin McNally of Whole Foods said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contaminated jars of Trader Joe’s peanut butter have led to 30 salmonella illnesses in 19 states.

Click here for a list of recalled products

“Salmonella is one of the most dangerous but also one of the most prevalent harmful pathogens out there,” CFCC Hospitality Management Instructor Don McGill said. “It occurs naturally with chickens and eggs, and the real danger comes from what we call cross contamination.”

Cross contamination is leading to an increasing number of recalls nationally, but it may actually be making the food at your dinner table safer in the long run.

“I think the world is getting safer for food, at least in this country,” McGill said. “We are also much more aware of it now, and we’re monitoring it more closely, and we’re probably recalling things that we didn’t used to years ago, because we have better monitoring systems.”

If you believe you have come in contact with contaminated peanut butter contact your doctor.