A Jif peanut butter Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak has sickened at least 14 people in 12 states. Two people have been hospitalized. The peanut butter was produced at the J.M. Smucker Company facility in Lexington, Kentucky.
The patient case count by state is: Arkansas (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (1), Ohio (1), North Carolina (1), New York (1), South Carolina (1), Texas (2), Virginia (1), and Washington (1). The last illness onset date was May 1, 2022. We don’t yet know the patient age range or first illness onset date. This outbreak could grow since it takes weeks from when a person first feels ill to when samples are tested and reported to the CDC.
The distribution of these products was nationwide. They have been confirmed for the states listed above, but the peanut butter could have been distributed further, reaching more states.
J.M. Smucker Company has voluntarily recalled certain Jif peanut butter brand products that have the lot code numbers between 1274425 – 2140425. You can see the long list of recalled products, which include creamy peanut butter, natural peanut butter, and crunchy peanut butter in various configurations, along with the package sizes and UPC numbers, at the FDA web site.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reviewed epidemiological information and it indicates that five out of five people reported eating peanut butter before they got sick. Four of those five people specifically reporting consuming different varieties of Jif peanut butter.
Wh0le genome sequencing was conducted on an environmental sample collected at the J.M. Smucker facility in 2010. Analysis shows that this 2010 sample matches the strain causing illnesses in the current outbreak. That indicates that Jif brand peanut butter produced at the J.M. Smucker Company facility in Lexington, Kentucky is the likely cause of illnesses in this outbreak. An investigation is ongoing and more information will be made available as needed.
If you purchased any of the types of recalled peanut butter, do not eat them, even if some has been consumed and no one has gotten sick. Bacteria can clump in small areas of a product and not all of a product may be contaminated. Throw the peanut butter away in a double bagged package inside a secure trash can, or take it back to the place of purchase. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the peanut butter.
If you ate this peanut butter and have been sick with the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning, see your doctor. You may be part of this Jif peanut butter Salmonella outbreak.
If you have been sickened with a Salmonella infection after eating recalled Jif peanut butter, please contact our experienced attorneys for help at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores and food processors.
