(READ) CDC warning: Salmonella infections linked to JIF peanut butter

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a food safety alert regarding a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg infections.

Read full CDC safety alert here.

Key points from the alert:

• Fourteen people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 12 states. Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
• The true number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.
• Interviews with ill people and laboratory data suggest some Jif brand peanut butters may be contaminated with Salmonella and making people sick. Four of five people interviewed reported eating different types of Jif brand peanut butter before getting sick.
• On May 20, J.M. Smucker Company recalled multiple Jif brand peanut butter types, including creamy, crunchy, natural, and reduced fat. 
• Recalled products include lot codes 1274425–2140425, with “425” at the end of the first seven numbers.
• Investigators are working to identify whether additional products are contaminated.
• See recall notice for packaging sizes, descriptions, and product codes.

What You Should Do:

• Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled Jif brand peanut butter. Throw it away. This product has a very long shelf life, so be sure to check any Jif peanut butter you have at home to make sure it has not been recalled.
• Wash surfaces and containers that may have touched the recalled peanut butter using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
• Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from eating a recalled product.

About Salmonella: 

• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. In rare cases, Salmonellainfection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body.
• Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.