J.M. Smucker knew about Jif’s Salmonella trouble but did not report it as required by law
They have not submitted the required reports to the Food and Drug Administration nor initiated recalls.
Food Safety News reports that the peanut butter-related salmonella outbreak earlier this year was known to management. But J.M. Smucker’s own unreported had early knowledge of Jif peanut butter’s Salmonella troubles. Jif brand peanut butter, manufactured by the JM Smucker Company of Lexington, KY, infected 21 confirmed cases in 17 states with four hospitalizations with Salmonella.
Jif peanut butter was recalled this past May by J.M. Smucker and other companies using it in their products. The outbreak was declared over on July 27 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During this past weekend, however, it was disclosed that Lexington plant management knew some of its Jif products were contaminated with Salmonella as early as December 2021 and as late as February 2022, but opted to keep it a secret. They did not make the required reports to the Food and Drug Administration or initiate recalls.
The water source was determined to be defective flanges, allowing rainwater and air to enter the roasters and come into contact with peanuts after the roasting step. The defect has been present since the new roasters were installed. Cleaning did not fix the problem as samples remained positive for Salmonella after cleaning.
More on the JIF recall:
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