Annie B's Confections Announces a Voluntary Nationwide Withdrawal of Peanut Containing Desserts

CONTACT: CUSTOMER SERVICE: VIA PHONE (215) 860-2444 OR VIA EMAIL: [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — FEBRUARY 3, 2009 — ANNIE B’S CONFECTIONS ANNOUNCES A PRECAUTIONARY VOLUNTARY NATIONWIDE WITHDRAWAL OF THE FOLLOWING ANNIE B’S ® BRANDED WHOLESALE DESSERT PRODUCTS AND ANNIE B’S ® CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE AND ANNIE B’S ® CLASSIC COLLECTION MINIATURE PASTRY ASSORTMENT SOLD ON QVC AND ON THE INTERNET SITE, QVC.COM BECAUSE THEY MAY BE CONTAMINATED BY SALMONELLA, 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.

THESE PRODUCTS ARE RECALLED BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN PEANUT PRODUCTS 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 PRODUCTS.

WHOLESALE DESSERT PRODUCTS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS LABELED WITH PRODUCTION DATES OF 080801 THROUGH 081231, ALL LOT CODES:

THESE PRODUCTS WERE SOLD TO VARIOUS FOOD DISTRIBUTORS, RESTAURANTS, CATERERS, HOTELS, AND BED & BREAKFAST INNS LOCATED IN NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA.  PRODUCTS MAY BE LISTED WITH A DIFFERENT NAME ON VARIOUS FOOD DISTRIBUTORS, RESTAURANTS, CATERERS, HOTELS, AND BED & BREAKFAST INNS MENUS.  THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR RETAIL PURCHASE.

ANNIE B’S ® BRANDED PRODUCTS SOLD THROUGH QVC AND QVC.COM WERE AVAILABLE FOR RETAIL PURCHASE NATIONALLY.

QVC PRODUCTS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS PURCHASED AFTER AUGUST 11, 2008:

DUE TO THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION, THE COMPANY HAS IMMEDIATELY CEASED MANUFACTURING ANY ITEMS WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND HAS SEGREGATED ALL FINISHED PRODUCTS OF CONCERN.  WHILE NONE OF THE ANNIE B’S ®PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS CONTAMINATED OR LINKED TO ANY ILLNESS, ANNIE B’S CONFECTIONS IS REQUESTING THAT THE PEANUT BUTTER DESSERT ITEMS BE REMOVED WHILE THE FDA CONTINUES ITS INVESTIGATION TO VERIFY THE SOURCE OF A NATIONWIDE OUTBREAK.

NO OTHER ANNIE B® PRODUCTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

CONSUMERS WITH ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THE RECALL MAY CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE AT (215) 860-2444 BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 AM AND 4:00 PM EST MONDAY-FRIDAY OR AT QVC CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-367-9444 BETWEEN 7 A.M. AND 1A.M. EST, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.