Wal-Mart Bakery Brand Peanut Butter Cookies Recalled

Also see:
– Peanut Butter-Related Salmonella Outbreak
– King Nut Peanut Butter Recall Affecting Other Brands

CONTACT: SCOTT MONETTE 314-877-7113

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — DOWNERS GROVE, IL, JANUARY 18, 2009 — RALCORP FROZEN BAKERY PRODUCTS, INC. ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS TAKEN THE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE OF VOLUNTARILY RECALLING ALL WAL-MART BAKERY BRANDS OF PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES, PEANUT BUTTER NO-BAKE COOKIES AND PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE NO-BAKE COOKIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA.  THE COOKIES CONTAIN PEANUT BUTTER SUPPLIED BY PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF AN FDA INVESTIGATION CONCERNING RECENT SALMONELLA OUTBREAKS. NO ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE RECALLED COOKIES AND NO OTHER TYPE OF WAL-MART BAKERY BRAND COOKIES ARE BEING RECALLED.

THE RECALLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES ARE DISTRIBUTED NATIONALLY UNDER THE WAL-MART BAKERY COOKIES BRAND. THE RECALLED WAL-MART BAKERY NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES AND NO-BAKE FUDGE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WERE DISTRIBUTED NATIONALLY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING STATES:  WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, VERMONT, NEW HAMSHIRE AND MAINE.  THE COOKIES ARE SOLD IN THE IN-STORE BAKERY SECTIONS OF ONLY WAL-MART STORES AND HAVE A CODE DATE OF 9200 OR LESS.

SALMONELLA IS AN ORGANISM WHICH 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 PAIN. IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES, INFECTION WITH SALMONELLA CAN RESULT IN THE ORGANISM GETTING INTO THE BLOODSTREAM AND PRODUCING MORE SEVERE ILLNESSES SUCH AS ARTERIAL INFECTIONS (I.E., INFECTED ANEURYSMS), ENDOCARDITIS AND ARTHRITIS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SALMONELLA, PLEASE VISIT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION’S WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.CDC.GOV.

THE FDA AND OTHER REGULATORY AGENCIES HAVE INDICATED THAT PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA (PCA) IS THE FOCUS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION CONCERNING A RECENT SALMONELLA OUTBREAK THOUGHT TO BE CAUSED BY TAINTED PEANUT BUTTER.  PCA SUPPLIED THE COMPANY WITH PEANUT BUTTER IT USED IN THE RECALLED COOKIES.  THE COMPANY HAS BEEN INFORMED THAT THE FDA CONTINUES ITS INVESTIGATION AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM WITH PEANUT BUTTER SUPPLIED BY PCA.

CONSUMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED ANY PRODUCTS COVERED BY THIS RECALL ARE URGED TO RETURN THEM TO THE STORE OF PURCHASE FOR A FULL REFUND.  CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE RECALL MAY CALL THE 24-HOUR TOLL-FREE HOTLINE AT 1-888-421-4699.  CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR HEALTH SHOULD CONTACT THEIR DOCTOR.