Safeway Recalls Selected Peanut Products Sold at 66 Stores with Nut Kiosks

CONTACT: TEENA MASSINGILL 925-467-3810

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — PLEASANTON, CALIF. — JANUARY 30, 2009 — SAFEWAY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED BY ORCHARD VALLEY HARVEST THAT IT IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING A NUMBER OF CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC PEANUTS SUPPLIED TO SAFEWAY  BECAUSE THE PRODUCTS MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA. ORCHARD VALLEY HARVEST HAS INFORMED SAFEWAY THAT IT SOURCED THE PEANUTS FROM PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA.

SAFEWAY IS PARTICIPATING IN VOLUNTARILY RECALLING SIX VARIETIES OF DRY ROASTED PEANUTS AND ALL FRESH GROUND PEANUT BUTTER. THE RECALL INCLUDES PEANUT BUTTER GROUND BY CUSTOMERS AND TAKEN TO CHECKOUT FOR WEIGHING, AND PEANUT BUTTER THAT IS GROUND, WEIGHED AND LABELED BY STORE ASSOCIATES. THESE ITEMS ARE SOLD ONLY AT STORES THAT HAVE IN-STORE “NUT HUT” KIOSKS. (A LIST OF THE 66 STORES WITH NUT HUT KIOSKS IS ATTACHED.)

THIS RECALL IS BEING ISSUED OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION. NO ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

ALL OF THE RECALLED PEANUT PRODUCTS ARE SOLD IN CLEAR PLASTIC CONTAINERS. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SELF-GROUND PEANUT BUTTER, THE PRODUCTS ARE LABELED WITH A DESCRIPTION, WEIGHT AND PRICE.

CUSTOMERS IN POSSESSION OF THESE PEANUT PRODUCTS SHOULD DISCARD OR RETURN THEM FOR A FULL REFUND.

THE RECALLED PEANUTS AND FRESH PEANUT BUTTER HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM SALE. ALL DISPLAY BINS AND NUT BUTTER GRINDERS HAVE BEEN CLEANED AND SANITIZED. NO OTHER BULK NUTS OR NUT BUTTERS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL.

SALMONELLA IS AN ORGANISM THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS, PARTICULARLY IN YOUNG CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, AND PERSONS WITH WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. HEALTHY PERSONS INFECTED WITH SALMONELLA OFTEN EXPERIENCE FEVER, DIARRHEA (WHICH MAY BE BLOODY), NAUSEA, VOMITING AND/OR 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, PLEASE VISIT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION’S WEB SITE AT WWW.CDC.GOV.

SAFEWAY CONTINUES TO MONITOR THE ONGOING RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH PEANUT BUTTER BASED PRODUCTS DUE TO POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION WITH SALMONELLA.  CONSUMERS CAN ALSO MONITOR THE SITUATION AT THE FDA WEBSITE WHERE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LISTING OF PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO THE NATIONWIDE RECALLS LINKED TO PEANUT BUTTER IS AVAILABLE.