NEW YORK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Hershey Co and ConAgra Foods products that contain peanut-butter or peanut-based ingredients are not impacted by the federal government's investigation into an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning, the companies said.
U.S. health authorities on Saturday told consumers to avoid eating products that contain peanut butter until they can determine the scope of the outbreak, which may have been the cause of six deaths.
Hershey and ConAgra, in separate statements late Saturday said they do not purchase any ingredients from the Peanut Corp of America, which is at the center of the investigation.
Peanut Corp said it had been informed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that some samples of its products had tested positive for a salmonella strain that may have originated in a Blakely, Georgia, peanut processing plant.
The recalled peanut butter was sold in bulk packaging in containers ranging from 5 pounds (2.3 kg) to 1,700 pounds (771 kg) and the peanut paste was sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound (16-kg) containers to tanker containers. None of the peanut butter or peanut paste being recalled is sold through retail stores, PCA said.
Kellogg Co said on Friday it was recalling certain products that 'have the potential to be contaminated,' including some Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter snacks and some Famous Amos and Keebler Soft Batch cookies.
H-E-B, Ralcorp Frozen Baker and Hy-Vee Inc have issued recalls for a range of their products that could have been contaminated.
(Reporting by Euan Rocha; editing by Richard Chang) Keywords: HERSHEY/PEANUT (euan.rocha@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223 6026; Reuters Messaging: euan.rocha.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
U.S. health authorities on Saturday told consumers to avoid eating products that contain peanut butter until they can determine the scope of the outbreak, which may have been the cause of six deaths.
Hershey and ConAgra, in separate statements late Saturday said they do not purchase any ingredients from the Peanut Corp of America, which is at the center of the investigation.
Peanut Corp said it had been informed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that some samples of its products had tested positive for a salmonella strain that may have originated in a Blakely, Georgia, peanut processing plant.
The recalled peanut butter was sold in bulk packaging in containers ranging from 5 pounds (2.3 kg) to 1,700 pounds (771 kg) and the peanut paste was sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound (16-kg) containers to tanker containers. None of the peanut butter or peanut paste being recalled is sold through retail stores, PCA said.
Kellogg Co said on Friday it was recalling certain products that 'have the potential to be contaminated,' including some Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter snacks and some Famous Amos and Keebler Soft Batch cookies.
H-E-B, Ralcorp Frozen Baker and Hy-Vee Inc have issued recalls for a range of their products that could have been contaminated.
(Reporting by Euan Rocha; editing by Richard Chang) Keywords: HERSHEY/PEANUT (euan.rocha@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223 6026; Reuters Messaging: euan.rocha.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.