Federal health officials said the company's peanut butter had not been conclusively linked to a national salmonella outbreak.

The peanut butter was distributed only through food service providers and was no"/>
Federal health officials said the company's peanut butter had not been conclusively linked to a national salmonella outbreak.

The peanut butter was distributed only through food service providers and was no"/> Salmonella prompts peanut butter recall | News, Sports, Jobs - Cape Coral Breeze
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Salmonella prompts peanut butter recall

By Staff | Jan 11, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A distributor in Ohio state has recalled two brands of its peanut butter after an open container tested positive for salmonella bacteria.

King Nut Companies said in a statement that it asked customers to stop distributing all peanut butter under its King Nut and Parnell’s Pride brands with a lot code that begins with the numeral “8.”

Federal health officials said the company’s peanut butter had not been conclusively linked to a national salmonella outbreak.

The peanut butter was distributed only through food service providers and was not sold directly to consumers.

Preliminary laboratory testing found salmonella bacteria in a 5-pound (2.3 kilogram) container of King Nut brand creamy peanut butter, the Minnesota Department of Health said Friday.

The Minnesota tests had not linked it to the type of salmonella in the outbreak that has sickened almost 400 people in 42 states, but the department said additional results are expected early next week.

King Nut’s president, Martin Kanan, said Sunday that the recall involved approximately 1,000 cases of peanut butter.

King Nut, based in Ohio, said it canceled all orders with the manufacturer of its two peanut butter brands, Peanut Corporation of America, based in Virginia.

The Virginia company said the tainted container was found in the kitchen of a nursing facility, leaving open the possibility of cross-contamination from another source. The company did not say where the nursing facility was located or when the contaminated product was discovered.

Peanut Corporation’s owner and president, Stewart Parnell declined to comment until federal officials concluded their investigation.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Bernadette Burden said Friday 399 cases of salmonella had been confirmed nationally, with about one in five of victims hospitalized. California has reported the most cases, with 55, followed by Ohio with 53. All the illnesses began between Sept. 3 and Dec. 29, but most of the people grew sick after Oct. 1.

The CDC has not confirmed any deaths associated with the outbreak.

The report of peanut butter contamination comes almost two years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which was eventually linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.