Stores, retailers, producers join voluntary recall in interest of public safety.

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Frozen
peanut butter cookie dough that may end up in the homes of local families was
one of the most recent products voluntarily recalled in response to the recent
salmonella outbreak. The dough, which was packaged as a fund-raising product,
was not sold in the Santa Clarita Valley, but was sold by schools and groups
from the Los Angeles Unified
School District as well as those in
Oxnard and the San
Gabriel Valley.

The
frozen peanut butter cookie dough was packaged in a white plastic 3 lb. tub
labeled “Sweet Success Peanut Butter Cookie Dough.”  The tubs contain no
lot codes or use by dates. It should be noted that the cookie dough in
question is not used in the school meal program.

General
Mills, Inc., Kellogg Co. and grocers Safeway and Kroger (the parent company of
Ralphs, Fresh Fare and Food4Less) joined the growing list of food companies and
retailers pulling items made with peanut butter off the shelves. In addition,
Clif Bar & Co. has recalled some Clif branded bars, including some under
the Luna and Clif Mojo labels.

According
to Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration has traced the salmonella
outbreak to a Georgia
plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America,
which produces peanut butter and paste sold to institutions and food companies.
Peanut butter sold in jars to consumers is not included in the voluntary
recall.

The
FDA has a searchable list of recalled products and brands on the agency’s
website at www.fda.gov.

Peanut
Corporation of America
voluntarily recalled certain lots of peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Georgia
processing facility because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.
 The recalled peanut butter may have been used as an ingredient in the
frozen Peanut Butter Cookie Dough distributed by Sweet Success.  The
recalled frozen peanut butter cookie dough was sold to Sweet Success after December 8, 2008. No illnesses
associated with Sweet Success Frozen Peanut Butter Cookie Dough have been reported to
date.

Salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal
infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened
immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience
fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Consumers with the above symptoms should consult their physician.