Jif peanut butter products recalled over salmonella concerns

The company that makes Jif peanut butter is recalling dozens of products after reporting a potential salmonella contamination in jars produced at a Kentucky facility.

J.M. Smucker announced the recall in a Friday press release, that detailed the immediate pulling of more than 50 types of the popular Jif products off national shelves in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It’s unclear exactly how many products are being recalled.

The recalled products stretch from the 16 ounce creamy peanut butter jars to the 40 ounce natural creamy peanut butter bulk jars.

J.M. Smucker said the products may be contaminated with salmonella, a bacterial organism that can seep into the bloodstream and cause potentially fatal infections in the young, elderly and frail.

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported they were investigating a salmonella outbreak among products linked to a Jif production facility in Lexington, Kentucky.

Of the people with salmonella infection, the CDC found that “five out of five people reported consuming peanut butter and four of the five people specifically reported consuming different varieties of Jif brand peanut butter prior to becoming ill.”

According to the FDA, there are 14 total illnesses and two hospitalizations spread across multiple states: Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas and Washington.

There are no known deaths related to the outbreak. The last illness was reported on May 1.