newjerseynewsroom.com

15 other states also pull product over salmonella scare

A Skippy peanut butter recall? The only right reaction to that news is, “Say it ain’t so!”

But it’s true. Alas for all peanut butter addicts – including those in New Jersey, one of the 16 states in receipt of the two Skippy products that may be contaminated with salmonella.

What to watch for: 16.3 oz. plastic jars of Skippy reduced fat creamy spread and Skippy reduced fat super chunk spread. Jars will have “best if used by” dates of May 16-21. The affected UPCs, located on the side of the jar’s label below the bar code, are:

048001006812

048001006782

Unilever United States, Englewood Cliffs-based maker of Skippy (www.peanutbutter.com/recall), called it “a limited recall of six ‘best if used by’ dates,” referring to “a possible health risk.”

The salmonella bacteria can cause serious-to-fatal infections in children, those with weakened immune systems and others.

A routine sampling program that indicated these two products may contain the bacteria prompted Unilever, in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to issue the recall.

The states where Skippy distributed these two products are Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Skippy urges consumers who may have these recalled jars to chuck them and phone the company at 800-453-3432 for a replacement coupon. No illnesses have been reported due to this recall.

Their course is clear for peanut butter aficionados: stock up on regular (that is, full fat and flavor) Skippy spreads before everyone else does the same thing. And dig in.

— PAT SUMMERS, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM