What to Do If You Recently Ate Jif Peanut Butter, Including How to Get a Refund

Zee Krstic
·7 min read
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What to Do If You Recently Ate Jif Peanut Butter, Including How to Get a Refund


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  • Officials at J.M. Smucker Co. have recalled a list of 45+ individual Jif peanut butter products due to potential widespread salmonella contamination.

  • Federal health officials have indicated that the recalled products have a long shelf life of upwards of two years, meaning implicated products may have best-by dates that range into 2024.

  • The full list of recalled products is available below, and customers can request a refund for implicated products by calling 800-828-9980 or using an online form.

  • Below, we're recapping: What to do if you've recently eaten Jif peanut butter, common salmonella symptoms and warning signs, and how to get a full refund for recalled Jif peanut butter.

If you're a fan of Jif-brand peanut butter, you'll need to check your pantry and any stockpiles of peanut butter, as federal health officials have linked both creamy and chunky varieties of the spread to at least 14 salmonella cases across the United States.

Officers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a salmonella outbreak in 12 different U.S. states that is currently being linked back to Jif products. Officials at J.M. Smucker Co., the manufacturer of Jif, have responded by launching a recall of 45+ of its Jif peanut butter products, including varieties that were labeled as creamy, crunchy, natural and reduced fat, among others.

The full list of products (available here) were shipped to stores across the country; they had product lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425, with the first seven digits of each implicated product code ending in 425.

Investigators have reportedly linked the outbreak back to a large peanut butter plant in Lexington, Kentucky; representatives at J.M. Smucker have yet to share with federal officials the full scope of the recall and have also indicated that they're unsure of how salmonella bacteria initially impacted their supply.

As many peanut butter aficionados already know, peanut butter often has one of the longest shelf-stable lifespans among other essentials in pantries — in this case, two years. This means Jif's recalled products have best-by dates that extend well into 2024 and beyond, according to the CDC.

What should I do if I recently ate Jif peanut butter?

First, take time to check if your jar of peanut butter is specifically involved in this current recall – while there are more than 45 different individual products listed, not all Jif peanut butter has been implicated. If you've confirmed that your peanut butter is part of the nationwide recall, immediately seal the jar and safely dispose of the product in the trash; you'll also need to wash or sanitize any surface or utensil that touched the peanut butter in question, according to FDA officials.

Sickness stemming from salmonella bacteria often triggers symptoms around 12 to 72 hours after first exposure. CDC estimates indicate that well over 1 million people in the U.S. suffer from salmonellosis each year, with over 26,000 severe cases requiring hospitalization. Severe cases can lead to body aches, headaches, rashes, uncontrolled fever and blood in urine and stool — about 420 people die annually due to severe symptoms like these.

Most commonly, however, a salmonella infection leads to three primary symptoms: Stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Illnesses usually run their course within a week, and most individuals recover at home without any formal treatment or medication.

If you expect that you've been exposed to salmonella through peanut butter, CDC officials say you should call your doctor if you are experiencing any of the following:

  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F

  • Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving

  • Bloody diarrhea

  • An inability to keep liquids down

  • Signs of prolonged dehydration

In the case of the salmonella outbreak currently linked to peanut butter, CDC officials have reported that all five individuals who contacted the agency had reported eating peanut butter, including one case that didn't specifically involve Jif-branded spread. The most recent illness was reported on May 1.

States where cases have occurred to date include: Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

A full list of recalled Jif peanut butter:

Here's the full list of products that are being pulled from shelves currently as well as their printed UPC codes, which are located within the barcode.

  • JIF 16 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025516

  • JIF 16 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025537

  • JIF 96 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TWIN PACK, 5150024705

  • JIF 96 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER TWIN PACK, 5150024706

  • JIF 40 OUNCE NATURAL CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150007565

  • JIF 12 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER INTERNATIONAL, 5150008026

  • JIF 3/4 OUNCE PEANUT BUTTER PLASTIC CASE, 5150008051

  • JIF .64 OUNCE NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER PLASTIC CASE, 5150008058

  • JIF 96 COUNT NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER TO GO CASE, 5150021889

  • JIF 36 COUNT CREAMY JIF PEANUT TO GO CASE, 5150024114

  • JIF 8 COUNT CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER TO GO, 5150024130

  • JIF 8 COUNT CREAMY PBTR TO GO, 5150024136

  • JIF 4.5 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TO GO, 5150024137

  • JIF 54 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TO GO 36 PACK , 5150024143

  • JIF 28 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024163

  • JIF 96 COUNT CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TO GO ,5150024170

  • JIF 54 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TO GO 36 PACK, 5150024174

  • JIF 28 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024177

  • JIF 40 OUNCE NATURAL HONEY, 5150024182

  • JIF 12 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024191

  • JIF 12 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TO GO, 5150024307

  • JIF 40 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024321

  • JIF 28 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024322

  • JIF 4 POUND CAN CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024331

  • JIF 96 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY TWINPACK, 5150024404

  • JIF 15.5 OUNCE NO ADDED SUGAR PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024540

  • JIF 13 OUNCE SQUEEZABLE POUCH, 5150024545

  • JIF 33.5 OUNCE NO ADDED SUGAR PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024548

  • JIF 13 OUNCE NATURAL SQUEEZE POUCH, 5150024572

  • JIF 80 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TWIN PACK, 5150024769

  • JIF 80 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER TWIN PACK, 5150024776

  • JIF 40 OUNCE REDUCED FAT CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025499

  • JIF 16 OZ REDUCED FAT CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025518

  • JIF 16 OUNCE CREAMY OMEGA 3 PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025530

  • JIF 80 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TWIN PACK, 5150025542

  • JIF 16 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025565

  • JIF 16 OUNCE NATURAL CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025574

  • JIF 16 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER HONEY, 5150025578

  • JIF 40 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150072001

  • JIF 40 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150072002

  • JIF 46.5 OUNCE NO ADDED SUGAR PEANUT BUTTER, 5150041418

  • JIF 1.1 OUNCE PORTION CONTROL PEANUT BUTTER 120 COUNT, 5150092100

  • JIF 48 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024094

  • JIF 48 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024095

  • JIF 1.5 oz CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER TO GO, 5150024141

  • JIF 48 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY, 5150024402

  • JIF 40 OUNCE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024090

  • JIF 40 OUNCE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150024091

  • JIF 40 OUNCE NATURAL CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, 5150025524

How to get your Jif recall refund:

While some news outlets have initially reported that affected customers can bring their Jif peanut butter back to stores for a full refund, company officials have yet to direct customers back to retailers for a full refund. "Consumers who have impacted product should immediately dispose of the product," Jif's official recall statement reads.

There is a growing list of grocers and retailers who have indicated that they'll provide a refund to customers directly in stores. Costco, for example, instructs its members to throw away impacted Jif peanut butter and to go to their nearest club for a full refund. Similar recall notices have been posted by Publix, Giant, Food Lion, and Meijer, all directing customers to immediately dispose of the product and seek a refund in store.

Otherwise, customers who are seeking a refund for recalled Jif peanut butter can contact the company directly for a refund. Customers can reach a brand representative by calling 800-828-9980 or through an online contact form that asks for your direct contact information.

"Our top priority is ensuring our consumers understand the details of the recall and are supported," the brand states, adding that they're expecting high-call volume at call centers. "We take your concerns seriously and are committed to producing safe, high-quality peanut butter."

The quickest way to seek a refund for tainted peanut butter may be through the brand's contact query — you won't need to retain any potentially contaminated peanut butter as proof, but snapping a quick picture of the product in question may be best before disposing of it.

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