MEDIA CONTACT: PAUL SUPPLEE 952-250-8831
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA — JANUARY 21, 2009 – BEST BRANDS CORP. TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING ITS PEANUT BUTTER FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH AS A PRECAUTION BECAUSE THE DOUGH CONTAINS PEANUT BUTTER MANUFACTURED BY PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA (PCA). PCA IS THE FOCUS OF AN INVESTIGATION BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) CONCERNING A RECENT SALMONELLA OUTBREAK THOUGHT TO BE CAUSED BY TAINTED PEANUT BUTTER.
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 CASES, 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 PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH WAS SOLD TO RETAIL AND GROCERY STORE BAKERIES AND OTHER FOODSERVICE OUTLETS. CONSUMERS MAY HAVE PURCHASED THE PRODUCT AS BAKED COOKIES OF VARIOUS SIZES. COOKIES MAY HAVE BEEN SOLD FROM TRAYS IN THE BAKERY COUNTER OR IN INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES WITH GROCERY STORE LABELS. THE NAME “BEST BRANDS CORP.” WOULD NOT APPEAR ON THE CONSUMER PACKAGE. THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL:
BEST BRANDS CORP. 1.25 OZ PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 22.5 LB CASE, 288 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #1003-01) BEST BRANDS CORP. 1.5 OZ CUSTOM PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 20.25 LB CASE, 216 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #1046-01) BEST BRANDS CORP. 1.25 OZ CUSTOM PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 18.75 LB CASE, 240 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #1046-02) BEST BRANDS CORP. 2 OZ CUSTOM PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 25 LB CASE, 200 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #1046-05) BEST BRANDS CORP. 1.5 OZ CUSTOM PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 20.25 LB CASE, 216 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #1047-01) BEST BRANDS CORP. 1.5 OZ CUSTOM REESE’S® PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 20.25 LB CASE, 216 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #1048-01) BEST BRANDS CORP. 3 OZ ORIGINAL PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 21 LB CASE, 112 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #1610-12) BEST BRANDS CORP. 1.5 OZ ZT CUSTOM PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 20.25 LB CASE, 216 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #4367-01) BEST BRANDS CORP. 1.5 OZ ZT CUSTOM REESE’S® PEANUT BUTTER PRECUT FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 20.25 LB CASE, 216 COOKIES PER CASE (ITEM #4369-01) BEST BRANDS CORP. PEANUT BUTTER FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH, 18 LB PAIL (ITEM #5201-67)
NO OTHER BEST BRAND CORP. FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH PRODUCTS ARE BEING RECALLED. THE CASES OF UNBAKED COOKIE DOUGH THAT ARE BEING RECALLED CARRY A LOT CODE OF 2208-1 OR HIGHER. THE LOT CODE IS DEFINED AS FOLLOWS: DDDY-B WHERE DDD = JULIAN DATE, Y= YEAR AND B= BATCH. FOR EXAMPLE, 2208-1 WAS THE FIRST BATCH PRODUCED ON AUGUST 7, 2008.
BEST BRANDS CORP. HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY CUSTOMER OR CONSUMER ILLNESS COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE COOKIE DOUGH. BEST BRANDS CORP. IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN THIS PRECAUTIONARY RECALL.
BEST BRANDS CORP. PRIDES ITSELF IN PROVIDING THE SPECIALTY BAKING INDUSTRY WITH HIGH QUALITY, SAFE PRODUCTS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS PRECAUTIONARY RECALL MAY CAUSE.
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