Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks Recalls Trail Mixes and Peanut Items Because of Possible Health Risk

CONTACT: KEN WERNER 1-800-459-6420

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — JANUARY 31, 2009 — WERNER GOURMET MEAT SNACKS INC. OF TILLAMOOK, OREGON IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING A VARIETY OF TRAIL MIXES AND PEANUT ITEMS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA.  THESE PRODUCTS WERE MANUFACTURED USING PEANUTS RECALLED BY PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICAN BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA.  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. 

THESE PRODUCTS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO RETAIL STORES IN THE STATES OF: OREGON, WASHINGTON, CALIFORNIA, IDAHO, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK, OHIO, ARIZONA, MONTANA, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, FLORIDA, ARKANSAS, NEVADA, MISSOURI, TEXAS, WISCONSIN, TENNESSEE, GEORGIA, VIRGINIA, MINNESOTA, AND ALABAMA.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE PRODUCT NAMES UPS NUMBERS AND BEST BY DATES OF THE PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. THESE PRODUCTS ARE PACKAGED IN CLEAR FILM PACKAGES WITH A WERNER BRAND LABEL AT THE TOP OF THE PACKAGE AND COME IN A VERITY OF NET WEIGHTS RANGING FROM 3 TO 9 OUNCES.

NO KNOWN ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO DATE IN CONNECTION WITH THESE PRODUCTS.  THE RECALL WAS INITIATED AFTER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA HAS RECALLED THE PEANUTS USED TO MANUFACTURE THESE PRODUCTS.  WERNER GOURMET MEAT SNACKS INC. HAS INFORMED FDA OF ITS ACTIONS AND IS FULLY COOPERATING WITH THE AGENCY.

CONSUMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED THESE PRODUCTS ARE URGED TO RETURN THEM TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE FOR A FULL REFUND. CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS MAY CONTACT THE COMPANY AT 1-800-459-6420.