Meijer Recalls Certain Peanuts and Ice Cream Novelties: Salmonella

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CONTACT: MEIJER 800-543-3704

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — GRAND RAPIDS, MI &NDASH; JANUARY 30, 2009, MEIJER INITIATED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF TWO TYPES OF ITS MEIJER BRAND DRY-ROASTED PEANUTS AND FOUR TYPES OF MEIJER BRAND ICE CREAM NOVELTIES SOLD IN ALL OF ITS STORES IN MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS AND KENTUCKY. MEIJER REMOVED ALL IDENTIFIED PRODUCTS FROM ITS STORES AND GAS STATIONS. ALL SELL-BY DATES ARE IMPACTED BY THIS RECALL.

SPECIFICALLY, MEIJER HAS RECALLED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

MEIJER BULK DRY ROASTED PEANUTS, UPC #2-18537-00000-8 MARKETS OF MEIJER DRY ROASTED PEANUTS, UPC #7-19283-91733-1 MEIJER VANILLA SUNDAE CONE W/ PEANUTS (WITH GARFIELD ON PACKAGING) UPC #7-19283-74019-9 MEIJER VANILLA SUNDAE CONE W/ PEANUTS (WITHOUT GARFIELD ON PACKAGING) UPC #7-19283-91235-0 MEIJER FUDGE SUNDAE CONE W/ PEANUTS (WITH GARFIELD ON PACKAGING) UPC #7-19283-74020-5 MEIJER FUDGE SUNDAE CONE W/ PEANUTS (WITHOUT GARFIELD ON PACKAGING) UPC #7-19283-91245-9

MEIJER HAS TAKEN THESE STEPS FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE PRODUCTS’ MANUFACTURERS THAT THEY MAY POSSIBLY BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA. WHILE NONE OF THE MEIJER BRAND PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS CONTAMINATED OR LINKED TO ANY ILLNESS, MEIJER HAS RECEIVED THESE PRODUCTS FROM NUT BAR COMPANY, INC. AND FIELDBROOK FOODS, BOTH OF WHICH USED PEANUTS FROM PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA IN BLAKELY, GEORGIA, WHICH HAS BEEN VERIFIED AS THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATED PEANUT PRODUCTS.

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.

MEIJER REQUESTS THAT CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED THESE PRODUCTS DESTROY THE PRODUCT OR RETURN THEM TO ANY MEIJER LOCATION FOR A FULL REFUND. IF MEIJER CUSTOMERS ARE UNSURE IF THEY HAVE THE RECALLED PRODUCT, THEY ARE REQUESTED TO BRING IN THE PRODUCT FOR DETERMINATION OR CONTACT THE MEIJER CUSTOMER CONTACT CENTER AT 800-543-3704. CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR HEALTH SHOULD CONTACT THEIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. IF SYMPTOMS ARE PRESENT, PLEASE VISIT A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OR GO TO A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM.

“THE SAFETY OF OUR CUSTOMERS IS ALWAYS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY,&RDQUO; SAID FRANK J. GUGLIELMI, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR MEIJER. “MEIJER HAS TAKEN THESE PRECAUTIONARY STEPS TO HELP PROTECT OUR CUSTOMERS AND WILL RETURN THIS PRODUCT TO OUR STORES ONLY ONCE IT IS SAFE FOR OUR SHOPPERS.&RDQUO;