Jelly Belly Candy Company Recalls Chocolate Peanuts and Clusters

CONTACT: TOMI HOLT (415) 884-8077

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — FAIRFIELD, CALIF. (FEBRUARY 27, 2009) — JELLY BELLY CANDY COMPANY IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING CHOCOLATE-COVERED PEANUTS, CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS AND NO-SUGAR ADDED CHOCOLATE PEANUTS, THREE PEANUT CONFECTIONS IN THE COMPANY’S LINE OF 200 CONFECTIONS. THE COMPANY IS RECALLING THE THREE CANDIES DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION OF ROASTED PEANUTS OBTAINED FROM THE PLAINVIEW, TEXAS FACILITY OF PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA.

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.

THE BULK CHOCOLATE PEANUT PRODUCTS ARE SOLD IN BULK SCOOP BINS TO GROCERY OUTLETS AND CANDY SHOPS NATIONWIDE AND ARE LABELED ON THE BIN WITH THE NAME OF THE PRODUCTS:

“CHOCOLATE PEANUTS FROM THE MAKERS OF JELLY BELLY” “PEANUT CLUSTERS FROM THE MAKERS OF JELLY BELLY” “NO SUGAR ADDED CHOCOLATE FLAVOR COATED PEANUTS”

FOR BULK BIN ITEMS, NO UPC CODES ARE VISIBLE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE.

IN ADDITION, THE CHOCOLATE PEANUTS WERE DISTRIBUTED ONLINE AND IN A 7-OZ. BAG WITH THE LABEL “CHOCOLATE PEANUTS FROM THE MAKERS OF JELLY BELLY”.

ITEM # 24050 12 X 7OZ CHOCOLATE PEANUTS CASE UPC – 00071567983921 UNIT/BAG UPC -071567240505

THE COMPANY AFFIRMS THAT PEANUT BUTTER FLAVOR OF JELLY BELLY® JELLY BEANS, THE COMPANY’S FLAGSHIP PRODUCT LINE, ARE NOT MADE WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROM PCA AND ARE SAFE TO EAT. NO OTHER CONFECTIONS ARE IMPACTED BY THE RECALL.

JELLY BELLY IS RECALLING THE THREE CHOCOLATE PEANUT CONFECTIONS DUE TO THE NATIONWIDE RECALL OF PRODUCTS FROM THE PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA’S TEXAS PEANUT PROCESSING PLANT. JELLY BELLY USED ROASTED PEANUTS PURCHASED FROM PCA PLAINVIEW, TEXAS PLANT. ALL PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THESE THREE CONFECTIONS HAVE BEEN HALTED. NO ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO DATE FROM THE CHOCOLATE PEANUT CONFECTIONS MADE BY JELLY BELLY.

CONSUMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED CHOCOLATE-COVERED PEANUTS, PEANUT CLUSTERS OR NO-SUGAR ADDED CHOCOLATE PEANUTS ARE URGED TO DESTROY THE PRODUCTS OR MAY RETURN THE PRODUCT TO JELLY BELLY CANDY COMPANY, ONE JELLY BELLY LANE, FAIRFIELD, CA 94533. CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS SHOULD CALL JELLY BELLY AT (800) 522-3267 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 6 AM TO 5 PM PST.