21 Jan - Concerns that the US salmonella-tainted peanut butter outbreak may have reached the UK grew today after snack company Larabar recalled some products over fears they might contain the bacteria.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency issued an alert following the Larabar recall of some of its own-brand peanut butter cookie flavoured snack bars and peanut butter cookies “because of the possible presence of Salmonella Typhimurium”. The company stressed that no illnesses had been reported in connection with its products
The recall follows an earlier general alert from the FSA for consumers to avoid products from certain US peanut butter producers. It comes in the wake of a nationwide salmonella outbreak in the US that has so far sickened 474 and been linked to six deaths.
Larabar, a North American company which also has a distribution operation in the UK, said it had issued the recall over concerns that peanut butter used in its products had been sourced from Peanut Corporation of America, one firm at the heart of the US outbreak that has affected 43 states.
Larabar’s UK operation, based in the Middlesex area of England, issued a recall for:
* Lärabar Peanut Butter Cookie flavour snack bars, 51g
Batch code: 0807021
Best before: 30 June 2009
* Lärabar Peanut Butter Cookie flavour mini snack bars, 28g sample size
Batch code: 0806202
Best before: May 2009 and 11 November 2009
In a statement sent to FLEXNEWS, Larabar said: “Larabar can confirm that it has announced a voluntary recall of some of its Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie flavour snack bars. The decision has been based on a concern that the peanut butter in the products, which was sourced from Peanut Corporation of America, may be contaminated with salmonella.
“No illnesses have been reported in connection with Larabar and no other types, varieties or flavours of Larabar products are being recalled. Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie flavour snack bars are distributed nationally in the UK and are sold primarily as individual bars in grocery and speciality retail stores. “
The UK recall follows news yesterday in the United States that Larabar products were among those being recalled by General Mills.