No reported salmonella cases from peanut butter in Islands
Advertiser Staff
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State health officials said yesterday there were no reported illnesses in Hawai'i from peanut butter linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella.
The Department of Health said some jars of Peter Pan brand peanut butter with a product code beginning with "2111" on the lid had been discovered on store shelves in Hawai'i. The "2111" code number indicates the peanut butter came from the ConAgra Foods Inc. plant in Sylvester, Ga., were the contaminated product was produced, federal investigators said.
Retailers are being asked to pull all jars from shelves and discard them, said Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo. In addition, consumers are being asked to discard any Peter Pan peanut butter purchased since May 2006, she said.
Nearly 300 people in 39 states have fallen ill since August, according to federal officials. Health officials were not aware of any local cases of illness linked to the peanut butter.
"At this point there are no confirmed cases of illness (in Hawai'i)," Okubo said.
Consumers who have purchased affected jars can receive a full refund by sending the lid, their name and mailing address to ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103.
A Mainland couple sued ConAgra Foods Inc. yesterday over a salmonella outbreak linked to its peanut butter, and their attorney predicted more suits would follow.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Kansas City by Susanna and Brian Cox of St. Joseph. It claims that Susanna Cox and the couple's two children became ill in October after eating Great Value Peanut Butter, made by ConAgra. The two children required urgent medical treatment, according to the lawsuit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.Correction: To receive a full refund for Peter Pan peanut butter in jars bearing a product code beginning with 2111, send the product lid, your name and mailing address to ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103. An incorrect address was listed in a previous version of this story.
