UPDATE: Nationwide PB Scare Forces Kroger Recall

Tainted peanuts came from the Peanut Corporation of America's plant in Georgia.

By: TriCities Staff | TriCities.com
Published: January 30, 2009

Kroger recently announced several products associated with the salmonella outbreak will be recalled from their stores.

Recalled items include:
ATKINS ADVANTAGE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE GRANOLA, 5 PACK , ATKINS DAY BREAK PEANUT BUTTER BAR, 5 PACK , ATKINS ADVANTAGE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAR, 5 PACK , ATKINS ENDULGE PEANUT CARAMEL CLUSTERS, 5 PACK , ATKINS ADVANTAGE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE GRANOLA , ATKINS DAY BREAK PEANUT BUTTER CRISP, 5 PACK , ATKINS ADVANTAGE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE GRANOLA BAR, 2.1 OZ , ATKINS ADVANTAGE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE GRANOLA BARS, 5 PACK , ATKINS ADVANTAGE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAR, 1.7 OZ , ATKINS ADVANTAGE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAR, 5 PACK , ATKINS ADVANTAGE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAR, , ATKINS DAY BREAK PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE CRISP BAR

Affected in Kroger stores located in Texas and Louisiana, Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN, North Carolina, Virginia, Eastern WV, Eastern Kentucky (3), SE Ohio (3), Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West Virginia panhandle, Greater Memphis, TN, Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Michigan, King Soopers, Ralph's, QFC, Smith's Food & Drugs, Jay C Foods, Fry's, Fred Meyer, Dillon's, Food 4 Less, Kwik Shop; Peyton Northern, Peyton Southeast,Peyton Fountain, Peyton Buckeye.

These products may be contaminated with Salmonella and, if eaten, could result in severe illness to those individuals with a weakened immune system.

Several cases in Tennessee and Virginia have been reported as being part of the nationwide outbreak.

The Tennessee Department of Health is now reporting that there were a total of 11 cases of salmonella infection among state residents from peanut products, including two cases from the Tri-Cities region.
The FDA continues its investigation of salmonella tainted peanut products from Georgia. As it announced recalls earlier this month, Jeann Fields of Kingsport found that her mother, Hester Fields’, death three months ago, had been caused by that bacteria. She hired lawyers, Parke Morris and Michael Large, who are determined to find justice.

Hester Fields had been staying at The Brian Center in Weber City, for brief rehabilitation, when she became ill. Jeann Fields told her lawyers that there were five or six people staying at the nursing home who were taken to the hospital from some sort of stomach bug. Hester died November 24, 2008. Jeann thought it was an unusual virus.

It was not until January 9, 2009, that the blood cultures came back to tell Fields that her mother had actually been infected with Salmonella Typhimurium.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the exact same strain of salmonella that was found in our clients blood stream was the exact same strain found at the Peanut Corp. of America plant in Georgia,“ says Morris.

The lawyers still do not know what Hester ate to contract the food poisoning. “We’ve tried to contact the nursing home, they won’t talk to us. We want to find out what food products they gave our client so that we can get that information out to the public so that if anyone in the community has those in their kitchen, they will discard them or throw them away, and we can prevent another illness in our community,“ says Large.

Washington and Greene counties each reported one case of salmonella.

Tennessee health officials say all of the 11 reported cases in the state are associated with peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America.

The Tennessee Department of Health reports that everyone has recovered from their illnesses in the state of Tennessee. Hester is listed as being a victim of salmonella poisoning in the state of Virginia.