Peanut Butter Confirmed as Source of Salmonella Outbreak

From the magazine you can trust (when they're not reporting about physics), Scientific American:

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning linked to peanut butter has widened to 329 people in 41 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.

Local health officials in Illinois and Pennsylvania were checking to see if the deaths of an elderly man and an elderly woman might have been caused by the contaminated peanut butter.

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said all Peter Pan peanut butter bought since May 2006, and all of Wal-Mart Inc.'s Great Value peanut butter with the batch code 2111 should be discarded. ConAgra Foods Inc. makes both, and has recalled all potentially contaminated batches.

The company said on Thursday that tests by some states found the salmonella bacteria in peanut butter produced at its Sylvester, Georgia, plant, where its Peter Pan and Great Value brands are made.

ConAgra spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said salmonella had been detected in its peanut butter in Iowa, and in other unspecified states.

"We are truly sorry for any harm that our peanut butter products may have caused," Gary Rodkin, chief executive of ConAgra, said in a statement released on Thursday."

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When it comes to peanut butter, I've always held that its not something to skimp on. Choosy moms choose Jiff for a reason: Its not contagious! (and its the tastiest!)

I also looove how this whole thing started in Iowa. Seriously Iowa, what the fuck is going on with you guys? One more outbreak originating from you and I will officially label you "the plague state". I'll make a graphic too, and put it right above my topic cloud. You've been warned.

And please people, don't ever buy anything made by ConAgra or Sysco, it's all crap. Have a little nutritional self-respect.