WASHINGTON — The company that sells Little Debbie snacks announced a recall Sunday of peanut-butter crackers because of a potential link to a deadly salmonella outbreak.
The voluntary recall came one day after the government advised consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods with peanut butter or peanut paste until health officials learn more about the contamination.
The announcement by Mc Kee Foods Corp. of Collegedale, Tenn., about two kinds of Little Debbie products was another in a string of voluntary recalls following the most recent guidance by health officials.
The South Bend Chocolate Co. in Indiana said Sunday it too was recalling various candies containing peanut butter from Peanut Corp. of America. In suburban Chicago, Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products recalled several brands of peanut-butter cookies it sells through Wal-Mart stores.
Peanut Corp. expanded its recall Sunday to all peanut butter and peanut paste made at its Blakely, Ga., plant since July 1.
McKee said it had not received any complaints about illnesses from people who ate peanut-butter toasty sandwich crackers or peanut-butter cheese sandwich crackers. The recall covers crackers produced on or after July 1.
So far, more than 470 people have gotten sick in 43 states, and at least 90 had to be hospitalized. At least six deaths are being blamed on the outbreak. Salmonella is a bacteria and the most common source of food poisoning in the U.S., causing diarrhea, cramping and fever.
Also Sunday, the maker of Peter Pan peanut butter said none of its products is associated with the outbreak.
