The company at the center of an investigation into the deadly salmonella outbreak has closed a second peanut processing plant. The Peanut Corporation of America has temporarily shut its doors in Plainview, Texas after lab tests found there may be salmonella at that plant, as well.

At this point, 1,845 peanut products have been taken off store shelves after more than 600 people got sick and eight deaths were linked to tainted peanuts.

Victims’ families will testify before Congress on Wednesday.

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Cookies, cakes, and ice cream are among the latest products joining the list of recalled foods made with peanuts. The FDA now has 887 products on the list.

And the number of people who have gotten sick from the salmonella outbreak is now up to 550, including eight people who died.

Here is the latest map from the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention showing where people have gotten sick across the country.

You can find the complete list of recalled products here.

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Out of the 501 people who have gotten sick during the salmonella/peanut butter outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says half of them are children – 280 victims are under 18 years old, including some infants.

FDA officials have found salmonella contamination at a Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia which has been linked to the food poisoning.

So far, the outbreak has caused the recall of more than 180 products – from crackers and cookies to pet food to treats from Starbucks. You can find a complete list of recalls at the FDA’s website or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for product recall information.

It’s not over yet, but the CDC says the number of new cases of illnesses has gone down over the last two weeks. The salmonella outbreak may have caused eight deaths.

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This salmonella outbreak is turning into a nightmare! The FDA says more than 125 peanut butter products have now been recalled and they expect that number to grow. Among the foods added to the list – NutriSystem granola bars, Asian foods with peanut sauce, and Grreat Choice dog biscuits from PetSmart. Veterinarians say it’s rare for dogs to get sick from salmonella, but their owners can pick up the bacteria by handling tainted biscuits.

The FDA regularly updates this growing list of recalled products. All of them contain peanut paste or peanut butter made at a Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia.

So far, 486 people in 43 states have gotten sick during this outbreak.

Are there any safe peanut butter snacks out there? These food makers want to make sure you know it’s okay to eat their products.

Personally, I’m staying away from all peanut butter products until this is over. How about you?

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General Mills’ LARABAR Peanut Butter Cookie and JamFrakas Peanut Butter Blisscrisp snack bars are two of the latest products pulled off store shelves because they were made with peanut butter that came from Peanut Corporation of America, and may be contaminated with salmonella.

The Food and Drug Administration has traced the outbreak to the Georgia plant which makes peanut butter and peanut paste that are distributed to institutions and food companies.

Grocers Kroger Co. and Meijer Inc. also joined the growing list of food companies and retailers pulling items with peanut butter amid this salmonella outbreak. So far, it is linked to six deaths and has made more than 470 people sick in 43 states.

As the outbreak continues, the FDA has added a page to its website with regular updates of which products and brands have been recalled. You can find it here.

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The Food and Drug Administration confirms a package of Austin Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter is contaminated with salmonella. It’s the first product sold to consumers that has tested positive for the strain that was first linked only to peanut butter sold to institutions like nursing homes.

Last week, Kellogg recalled the crackers, along with other snack foods as a precaution in light of the nation’s salmonella outbreak.

Since then, several other companies have recalled products made with peanut butter. And the FDA warns Americans to avoid cookies, crackers, ice cream and other foods that have peanut butter in the ingredients until it can determine how widespread the salmonella outbreak is across the country.

A complete list of the recalls and more information from the FDA is here.

[Photo Credit: Dustin Holmes via Flickr]

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The Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans to avoid cookies, crackers, ice cream and other foods that have peanut butter in the ingredients until it can determine how widespread the salmonella outbreak is across the country.

The FDA now says dozens of products made with peanut butter may be contaminated with salmonella. The warning does not include peanut butter jars sold in retail stores.

Officials found salmonella contamination in peanut butter and peanut paste made at Peanut Corporation of America’s plant in Blakely, Georgia which ships peanut products to 85 food companies. But a direct link has not yet been found to the strain that has now made 474 people sick and may have caused six deaths.

Kellogg Company expanded its recall and now includes Austin and Keebler peanut butter snacks and some Famous Amos and Keebler Soft Batch cookies.

And today, McKee Foods Corporation recalled its Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty sandwich crackers and Little Debbie Peanut Butter Cheese sandwich crackers.

The FDA says to throw away any recalled products. It has a complete list here.

All the illnesses began between September 8, 2008 and January 2, 2009. Below is a map from the CDC showing the spread of the outbreak across the U.S.

The death rate is high compared to last summer’s outbreak in tomatoes and jalapenos. The CDC says the outbreak strain – salmonella typhimurium – is not especially poisonous, but the peanut butter was  distributed to schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Salmonella is especially dangerous to the very old and the very young.

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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Kellogg Company has taken its Austin and Keebler peanut butter snacks off store shelves and has stopped distributing them in light of the salmonella outbreak.

Kellogg says this is just a precautionary measure – there have not been any signs of contamination nor reports of people getting sick from its products.

The company is also encouraging you not to eat these Austin and Keebler products until an investigation is done:

• Toasted Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Crackers

• Cheese and Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers

• Peanut Butter-Chocolate Sandwich Crackers

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.A salmonella outbreak has now made 410 people in 43 states sick. It may also be linked to the deaths of three people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says peanut butter is the “likely source” of the nationwide infection.

And the Minnesota Department of Health says genetic testing shows the salmonella in a five-pound tub of peanut butter that infected nursing home residents there is the same strain as the one in the national outbreak.

Peanut Corporation of America, based in Lynchburg, Va., makes the spread. It is distributed nationally by Ohio-based King Nut Companies, which has recalled the products. The peanut butter is not sold in grocery stores – just to places like schools, hospitals, restaurants, and long-term-care facilities.

All the illnesses began between September 15 and January 7, but most people got sick after October 1. Below is a map from the CDC showing the spread of the outbreak across the U.S.

Salmonella symptoms

Symptoms of salmonella food poisoning include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after you’re infected. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without any treatment, but there can be severe infections especially in people with a weakened immune system, infants and the elderly.

More information

If you think you’ve gotten sick from eating peanut butter, contact your doctor right away. There is more information about this recall here on the FDA’s website.

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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This year, we cheered as the world’s heaviest man lost 500 pounds then got hitched, we wondered why some of our favorite foods suddenly looked smaller, and worried when the worst foodborne outbreak in a decade spread across the country. Here’s a look back at the year’s headlines in food, fitness, and fat – The top 8 of ‘08:

Hold the tomatoes, hold the peppers…
Tomatoes and peppers were pulled from store shelves and restaurants when a massive salmonella outbreak started in April. It took the government several months to figure out what caused it, making many people question our nation’s food safety system. When it was over, 1,400 people had gotten sick across the country.

F as in Fat
The obesity epidemic continued to climb – up in 37 states – with predictions that 86-percent of Americans could be overweight by 2030 if things don’t change soon. The epidemic brought sobering news about how obesity is affecting children with an influential physicians’ group urging young kids to take cholesterol drugs, and a new report showing the arteries of obese kids can be just as clogged as those of a 45-year-old.

Happy Anniversary (the BIG 5-0) to the Hula Hoop
It was the Hula Hoop’s anniversary – the golden one already? Seems as though it’s come, well… full circle over the years.  Just one year after it came out, the company that makes the hip toy sold more than 100 million Hula Hoops. Fifty years later, the hoop is regaining its popularity as a fun and challenging way to exercise – it’s even a featured activity on Nintendo’s new Wii Fit.

World’s heaviest man marries
First, Manuel Uribe made headlines when he lost 500+ pounds (he used to weigh 1,234 pounds). Then the world cheered him on as he married his longtime girlfriend in Mexico in October. Uribe has not left his bed for six years. His doctors want him to lose a total of 1,000 pounds.

Diabetes doubles
Diabetes is skyrocketing in the United States. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the rate of new cases of the disease has nearly doubled over the past 10 years. The main reasons? The growing number of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. About 1.6 million people age 20 or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes just last year.

Show me the calories
Calorie counts started popping up at restaurants across the country as laws passed in New York City, California, and Philadelphia requiring them to post calories on their menus. Fast food chains like KFC, Taco Bell, and Long John Silver’s also announced they would start putting calories on menu boards in their restaurants nationwide.

Honey, they shrunk the food…
With the cost of ingredients and fuel for delivery going up, some food companies are making their products smaller but selling them for the same price – giving us less, instead of raising their prices. Shrinking products include Breyers ice cream, Mini BabyBel Cheese discs, some varieties of Yoplati yogurt, and Sun Chips Garden Salsa snacks.

Oprah up again
Oprah has been yo-yo-ing for years and this year, she’s back up again. Winfrey says she now weighs 200 pounds and has “fallen off the wagon” when it comes to healthy living. She’s gained 40 pounds back since 2006. She’s expected to talk candidly about her weight on her show in January.

Did you remember all those?

What will 2009 hold? Sign up for FatFighterTV’s daily updates for the very latest. Plus you’ll get the FREE e-book, “Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals”

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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