Fannie May Confections Recalls Bridge Mix and No Sugar Added Milk Chocolate Covered Peanuts Produced by Madelaine Chocolate

CONTACT: MARK SPENCER BURSON-MARSTELLER FOR FANNIE MAY (312) 596-3628 MARK.SPENCER@BM.COM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — CHICAGO, ILL. – FEBRUARY 5, 2009 – FANNIE MAY CONFECTIONS, INC. TODAY ANNOUNCED IT IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING ALL 8-OUNCE AND 16-OUNCE BAGS OF BRIDGE MIX AND NO SUGAR ADDED MILK CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS BECAUSE THE PRODUCTS – SUPPLIED BY MADELAINE CHOCOLATE NOVELTIES, INC. OF ROCKAWAY BEACH, N.Y., — MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS FROM PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA (PCA). PCA HAS ANNOUNCED THE EXPANSION OF A VOLUNTARY RECALL COVERING ALL PEANUT PRODUCTS MADE IN THEIR BLAKELY, GEORGIA PLANT SINCE JAN. 1, 2007, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A POTENTIAL TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA.

MADELAINE CHOCOLATES TODAY RECALLED THE PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS SUPPLIED BY PCA. MADELAINE REPORTS THAT IT TESTS LOT SAMPLES OF ALL ITS PRODUCTS FOR SALMONELLA, INCLUDING ALL ITS PEANUT PRODUCTS, AND NONE OF THE PEANUT PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR SALMONELLA.

FANNIE MAY IS UNDERTAKING THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION. FANNIE MAY HAS RECEIVED NO REPORTS OF ILLNESS CONNECTED TO THESE PRODUCTS. MADELAINE CHOCOLATES HAS ALSO STATED THAT IT HAS RECEIVED NO REPORTS OF ILLNESS CONNECTED WITH THE PCA RECALL.

IN ADDITION, THESE FOUR PRODUCTS BEING RECALLED WERE NOT PRODUCED AT FANNIE MAY’S CHOCOLATE KITCHENS. THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL DOES NOT AFFECT ANY OTHER PRODUCTS FROM FANNIE MAY, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT CONTAIN PRODUCTS FROM PCA.

THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS AND STOCK CODE NUMBERS FOR THE RECALLED PRODUCTS ARE LISTED BELOW, AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.FANNIEMAY.COM TO HELP WITH IDENTIFICATION. THE VOLUNTARY RECALL INVOLVES ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS SOLD SINCE JAN. 1, 2007.

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.  

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PCA RECALL, VISIT THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.FDA.GOV.

FANNIE MAY CONFECTIONS, INC. APOLOGIZES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY CAUSE OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS; PRODUCT QUALITY AND CONSUMER SAFETY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE TOP PRIORITY OF FANNIE MAY.

CONSUMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED THE RECALLED PRODUCTS ARE URGED TO DESTROY THEM.  CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS MAY CONTACT FANNIE MAY CUSTOMER SERVICE AT (330) 494-0833 EXT. 193 BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:30 A.M.–5 P.M. MONDAY – FRIDAY EST.