OTTAWA, January 19, 2009 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume various snack foods described below because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. These snack foods contain peanut butter and / or peanut paste which have been recently recalled in the USA by Peanut Corporation of America due to Salmonella contamination.
The following snack foods, products of USA, are affected by this alert.
These products may have been distributed nationally.
The CFIA is continuing its food safety investigation. The above table will be updated to include any additional products distributed in Canada.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a foodborne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.
The importers are voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concern/causee.shtml
For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.
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Media Inquiries:
Garfield Balsom (English)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Office of Food Safety and Recall
613-760-4232
Linda LeBlanc (French)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Office of Food Safety and Recall
613-760-4112
