Jif issues voluntary recall of select peanut butter products due to salmonella concerns
Several types of Jif peanut butter are being recalled after the products were linked to a salmonella outbreak that sickened 14 people nationwide.
The J.M. Smucker Co. announced the voluntary recall in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration on Friday, stating that the recalled peanut butter was distributed nationwide in retail stores and other outlets.
"We have announced a voluntary recall of select Jif products sold in the U.S. and Canada due to potential salmonella contamination," a representative for Jif told TODAY Food in an email. "Our teams mobilized quickly to coordinate a thorough investigation in collaboration with FDA and CFIA. This incident was isolated to our Lexington, KY, manufacturing facility and does not impact our other peanut-butter-producing facilities. In addition, there is no impact to Smucker’s Uncrustables, Santa Cruz Organic or any other J.M. Smucker Co. Brand."
The company said they are confident that they have identified the root cause and implemented corrective actions to address the issue.
"In partnership with FDA and CFIA, we initiated a voluntary recall spanning the duration of the incident that we consider responsible for the issue and several additional months beyond this time frame out of an abundance of caution."
Consumers should check their peanut butter products for the lot codes including and between 1274425 — 2140425, which are located alongside best-if-used-by date. Consumers can view the FDA announcement for a list of recalled products and their UPC codes. If you have any products with these codes, do not serve or consume them. Instead, dispose of the product(s) immediately.
The FDA, along with the CDC and state and local authorities, launched an investigation into the multi-state salmonella outbreak, which is ongoing. The peanut butter products in question were all produced at the J.M. Smucker Company facility in Lexington, Kentucky.
"CDC’s review of epidemiological information indicates 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," read the report.
The report said that the FDA conducted whole genome sequencing analysis on an "environmental sample" collected at a Lexington, KY facility in 2010. The FDA's analysis found that the 2010 environmental sample "matches the strain causing illnesses in this current outbreak."
"Evidence indicates that Jif brand peanut butter produced in the J.M. Smucker Company facility located in Lexington is the likely cause of illnesses in this outbreak," said the FDA.
According to the Mayo Clinic, salmonella is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
So far, 14 people have fallen ill, including two hospitalizations, with the last illness reported on May 1, 2022.
Consumers who have questions or would like to report adverse reactions should visit Jif.com or call 800-828-9980 Monday through Friday, 8 am - 5 pm ET.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, May 22 to include a response from Jif.
