In recent months, the Jif peanut butter recall has grown significantly, affecting at least 69 additional brands. The cascade impact is owing to the fact that many companies utilize peanut butter in their own candies, sandwiches, and other products.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall of some Jif peanut butter products at the end of May 2022 after 14 people in 12 states were ill with salmonella illness linked to the J.M. Smucker Company factory in Lexington, Kentucky, where Jif peanut butter is produced.
Other manufacturers have also issued their own recalls as a result of the Jif recall, including chocolates, fruit cups, and fruit snack trays, all of which are linked to the original Jif recall.
Explaining the Recall for Jif Peanut Butter
The FDA is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg infections connected to specific Jif peanut butter products produced at the J.M. Smucker Company facility in Lexington, Kentucky, with the help of the CDC and state and local partners.
Jif has issued a voluntary recall of specific Jif peanut butter products in collaboration with the FDA owing to the possibility of salmonella infection. Jif has advised consumers to check whether they have impacted products in their possession by looking at the first seven digits of the product code for impacted products sold in the United States. This information may be found under the barcode on the product packaging and covers the product range of 1274425 to 2140425.
Companies using Jif peanut butter in their products have also been affected by the recall. Certain products produced by these companies have been found to have traces of salmonella causing illness to consumers. The FDA has a running list of all products and manufacturers that have identified possible recalled products.
Other Products Affected by the Recall
Seven more brands of peanut butter have been recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, all of which are linked to the earlier Jif recall, as reported in a recent article. Country Fresh fruit cups and snack trays, as well as numerous Coblentz Chocolate, Cargill, and Wilbur Chocolate goods containing peanut butter, are among them. Albertsons’ peanut butter goods, Garden Cut packaged apple slices with peanut butter, Mary’s Harvest Fresh Foods cut celery, apple, and peanut butter products, and Taher Inc’s “Fresh Season Power Packs” are all included in the recall, according to the FDA.
The new brands included in the Jif recall were done voluntarily, and the FDA reports that no additional illnesses have been linked to these items. These goods, however, have been recalled because they contain the recalled Jif brand peanut butter. According to the FDA, because they contain Jif peanut butter, there’s a chance they could spread salmonella and cause illnesses to consumers.
Identifying What Products are Recalled
The lot code numbers, which are commonly found near the “best by” date (and are distinct from the UPC number on the bar code), can be used to identify all of the impacted Jif peanut butter items. If the first seven digits of the lot code end in 425, it was made in Lexington. If the same code begins with four numbers between 1274 and 2140, the peanut butter should not be eaten or served, and it should be discarded for potential risks of salmonella.
People who have to discard their peanut butter will be reimbursed by Smucker. Because of the high level of interest in the Jif recall, the company has set up a dedicated website where individuals can file claims for up to five goods at once. It intends to send vouchers to cover the cost of a replacement item, although this could take up to six weeks.
Wawa, Country Fresh, the Coblentz Chocolate Company, Walmart, and Fudgeamentals are among the businesses and labels issuing Jif-related recalls. While certain products were exclusively available in a few states, the majority were available nationwide.
The recall extends beyond the United States. According to the FDA, the items in the Jif recall were also transported to roughly ten nations, including Canada, Dominican Republic, Japan, and Thailand, based on information provided by the company.
Symptoms of Salmonella
Salmonella is a common type of bacteria, which can cause infection or illness. The majority of Salmonella strains produce salmonellosis. Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever can be caused by other strains of Salmonella. Common symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain.
Symptoms typically appear six to seven days after ingesting foods infected by salmonella and continue four to seven days after that. Some people, on the other hand, do not begin to experience these symptoms until weeks following their initial infection.
Salmonella strains regularly lead to major illnesses if they infect a person’s blood, urine, joints, bones, or even their neurological system.
Lawsuits Related to Jif Recalls
A number of peanut butter recall lawsuits have already been filed as a result of the Jif product recall and other related products. So far, they have only been limited to consumer class action lawsuits. These are lawsuits in which a few people file suit on behalf of thousands (or millions) of people who bought the recalled product.
J.M. Smucker, the maker of Jif peanut butter, was sued in Georgia state court just one week after making the voluntary recall of its products. According to the Georgia man’s Jif Peanut Butter complaint, he purchased the product in April and was hospitalized due to salmonella illness.
Lawyers for the plaintiff alleged negligence, strict responsibility, and breach of implied warranties in the Jif peanut butter recall case.
In Kentucky, another Jif peanut butter recall case was filed after consuming a product that contained salmonella. This time, the lawsuit was filed in the form of a consumer class action suit. The complaint’s basis is that the product is falsely promoted as being made from high-quality ingredients.
Counts of deceptive concealment and unjust enrichment are included in the Jif class action complaint.
Who Can File a Lawsuit?
Individuals who contracted salmonella after eating Jif products are likely to file product liability lawsuits as a result of the recall. Anyone who has been infected with salmonella after eating a Jif product may be able to file a Jif recall lawsuit and receive financial recompense for their bodily ailments.
