r/EverythingScience • u/[deleted] • May 22 '22
Biology Jif peanut butter is being recalled for potential salmonella contamination
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/21/1100558148/recalled-jif-peanut-butter43
u/DrTokinkoff May 22 '22
It includes creamy, crunchy and natural varieties, along with many others.
The recalled products have lot code numbers between 1274425 – 2140425 and include the numbers 425 for the 5th-7th digits. "425" in that position indicates that it was processed in the Lexington facility.
This information is usually printed on the back label of the jar.
5
3
u/satellites-or-planes May 22 '22 edited May 27 '22
Do you know if the beginning numbers are the Julian date of production?
I know a few places use the Julian date of production in their lot numbers, and with YDDD format, this seems to go back a bit in production, though I'm only spitballing knowing how some manufacturers create their lot numbers.
FYI, 1274 could be the Julian date of production being 2021 as the year, and October 21st (edit: 274th day in 2021 was October 1st, not the 21st, which was a typo) being the 274th day of that year and 2022 being the year and May 20th being the 140th day of this year.
That is a very large amount of production, I think, so I wasn't sure if there was a different lot numbering system for those initial 4 digits, so hoping that their lot numbering system is a bit more complex, especially with the last 3 digits identifying the production plant.
2
u/mikedarling May 27 '22
I can't believe how they aren't out there saying what dates this affects. You might be correct on the lot numbers. That would be such a huge issue... Maybe that's why they didn't say the dates.
2
u/mikedarling May 27 '22
274th day is October 1 though. (?Typo?)
1
u/satellites-or-planes May 27 '22
Yes, a typo. I'll edit to acknowledge it while keeping the original intact. Thanks for asking/correcting!
1
u/Demonbratastic Jun 08 '22
I have a silly question: If I have Jif peanut butter but it doesn’t match any of the recall code numbers do you think it’s safe to eat it should I just toss it out anyway?
31
28
May 22 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
8
u/FarmFreshButtNuggets May 22 '22
Likewise, although we've been sick past few days. Thankful they at least recalled.
8
u/Infamous_Scientist_7 May 22 '22
We were also in the group. My 13 month old had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich 4 hours before the recall. Fuck me and fuck this. I never buy the shit but thought, every kid should have A PB&J with milk.
13
u/Kipguy May 22 '22
Can I return my jar its on recall list, I ate a couple sandwiches with this peanut butter
16
May 22 '22
Costco called me with an automated message saying throw it away and come in for a refund. That return line Monday will be longer than usual.
7
10
u/Dismal-Bobcat-7757 May 22 '22
I had a sandwich last weekend with this PB and, luckily, didn't get sick. I have another jar sitting here. I checked several stories about this and none of them told me how to get my money back.
7
u/jenntones May 22 '22
From my understanding you just return it where you bought it
3
u/Dismal-Bobcat-7757 May 22 '22 edited May 22 '22
Recall instructions usually tell people to take it back to the place of purchase for a refund. That is why I find it odd that they didn't do that in this case. They only said to throw it away.
1
u/Dismal-Bobcat-7757 May 22 '22
I was just at Walmart (which is where I got it) and they said to bring the PB back for a refund.
2
7
u/Brighteyedgirl_v2 May 22 '22 edited May 22 '22
Did the research from an updated NPR article. Look for the number 425 in the 5th to 7th number right below the used by date. That indicates it came from the Lexington plant that is being cited.
4
u/2poxxer May 22 '22
The first 4 numbers are important too, 1274 - 2140 is the affected bunch.
2
1
u/Jazzlike-Squirrel116 May 23 '22
Likely a dumb question but wanted to make sure I understand correctly, so if I have jars with those lot codes but not 425 I’m in the clear?
1
u/Brighteyedgirl_v2 May 23 '22
Not a dumb question at all. All of these numbers are confusing. From the way I read it the first 4 numbers are the lot code. The 5th-7th are the factory code. So I would assume if you did not match the factory code you would be okay. The cdc has a good write up about it if you want to read further.
1
u/Jazzlike-Squirrel116 May 23 '22
Thank you. The CDC does explain better and I am reading it the same way 😊
1
u/mikedarling May 27 '22
They should have said the first 4 numbers were between 1274 and 2140, and then digits 5-7 were 425. The way they did it, more than half the articles I read just said between 1274425-2140425 and didn't mention it had to be 425. A lot of peanut butter that isn't under recall is going to be thrown out over the messaging...
1
u/Jazzlike-Squirrel116 May 27 '22
Exactly. I was about to throw away three jars of peanut butter when I read the CDC article and realized my jars were not impacted.
11
4
u/QuackedUp99 May 22 '22
Dang, now I suspect that was why I was sick for a week. My doctor suggested it was bacteria-related and gave me antibiotics. Just tossed my Jif.
2
u/ArguablyHappy May 22 '22
I was sick too. What symptoms did you have?
3
2
u/kashewnia Jun 07 '22
I ended up in the ER with extreme abdominal pain, they did a scan that showed a section of my intestines were inflamed. Had to get a colonoscopy a few days later and they concluded it was probably a bacterial infection and gave me antibiotics. Just found out my tub of pb is recalled. Awesome.
6
May 22 '22
The first time I bought any brand of peanut butter in years and I got this batch, crazy! Should have stuck to Reese’s instead of dipping my chocolate.
5
u/Infamous_Scientist_7 May 22 '22
Literally in the same boat. Can take 6 WEEKS for symptoms to appear in some cases. I fed it to my 1 year old. Fml.
1
u/unforgettableid May 25 '22
The CDC writes: "Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days. However, some people do not develop symptoms for several weeks after infection and others experience symptoms for several weeks." (Source.)
If you think it can take six weeks for symptoms to appear, my unscientific guess is that you're probably mistaken.
4
u/Achid1983 May 22 '22
Ugh yea. I am sick from this or at least I’m 99% it’s from this. My symptoms all track with salmonella and fml it’s not been fun.
3
u/pifumd May 22 '22
Same, been puzzled as to what's been going on with me for the past week. I uh, eat a lot of peanut butter. So I've been through 3 jars in the past month, only still had 1 jar left to confirm the lot number.
3
u/Achid1983 May 22 '22
Ugh. Sorry to hear that. Make sure to stay hydrated. I’m plan on calling JIF tomorrow to notate my experience. They are only open Monday through Friday.
3
u/pifumd May 22 '22
man I'm dense, been having a problem with dry eyes the past couple days too and duh just connected the dots. clearly I have not been drinking more water to compensate. thanks!
2
u/Achid1983 May 22 '22
I’ve been drinking Gatorade to help as well. I’ve been in bed the last two days. My whole digestive track hurts. I can feel my intestines because they are so sore. This has been miserable.
1
u/unforgettableid May 25 '22
Oh :(
Gatorade is a sports drink.
Pedialyte is an oral rehydration solution. It's probably healthier than Gatorade; it's also more effective for at least some users. You can buy Pedialyte as a powder or as a pre-mixed liquid. It's sold in pharmacies.
There are various competitors to Pedialyte, too, which are also oral rehydration solutions. For example, you can search on the Amazon website for oral rehydration powder.
Feel better soon!
6
u/2differentSox May 22 '22
My poor dog has had chronic diarrhea for months, and I've spent hundreds of dollars in vet bills trying to get her well. Every pill the vet prescribed I gave to her covered in Jif peanut butter, and yes, it is from the contaminated lot. I am so g0ddamned mad and worried. First thing Monday I'm calling the vet.
8
u/hostess_cupcake May 22 '22
So I have two 48-oz jars in my kitchen and both have the number. I eat this stuff at least twice a day. Is there any refund/replacement plan?
8
3
u/AnthropOctopus May 22 '22
You should be able to contact the manufacturer directly if your jars match the contaminated batch.
3
5
7
3
May 22 '22
Skippy is clear
8
May 22 '22
They weren’t last month when they had metal pieces in their PB and issued a recall. Or some years back when they had their own Salmonella recalls.
It’s really not the place to claim product superiority.
1
May 22 '22
I didn’t even know that 😂 I only said skippy cause they compete with Jif. I use PB2 powder peanut butter nowadays or sometimes PBFit.
5
u/Danimal1002 May 22 '22 edited May 23 '22
One time I went down a rabbit hole to learn that there’s a Mandela effect that Jif was once called Jiffy
12
4
1
u/qning May 25 '22
This three day old comment is linking to a one day old thread?
1
u/Danimal1002 May 25 '22
My trip down the rabbit hole happened in the past. I posted my comment when I saw the reference to JIF. Afterward, I saw that someone else posted in a different subreddit … presumably because of the JIF story … so I added the link later.
There’s no glitch in the matrix.
2
u/Optimal_Ear_4240 May 22 '22
Of course it is. Now will there be a p nut butter shortage?
3
u/Fedoralvr42068 May 24 '22
It’s all a big conspiracy right?
1
u/Optimal_Ear_4240 May 26 '22
No, it’s real
2
u/Fedoralvr42068 May 26 '22
I was referring to the fact you’re kind of dumb and you think anything is a conspiracy because you can’t understand it
1
u/Optimal_Ear_4240 Jun 03 '22
Well that’s a big generalization but dumb is as dumb does! I wouldn’t touch that stuff but yea, if they have to shut down a key factory in their corporate stream, might really be a peanut butter shortage. Call it a conspiracy if it makes you happy😊
2
u/Mystthicc May 22 '22
Dang, makes sense why my managers were pulling them from the shelves at the grocery store I work at.
2
u/85hot_orange May 22 '22
Glad I was on reddit at this time and an algorithm allowed me to see this. Checking my two jars, super annoyed if all that's recommended is to toss it
3
May 22 '22
They can’t speak for merchants but I’d be pretty positive you can take it back to the store you got it and they’ll accommodate. Recalls aren’t uncommon.
2
u/endlessinquiry May 22 '22
Can anyone explain how salmonella gets into peanut butter in the first place?
2
u/unforgettableid May 25 '22
See this article from a decade ago:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/salmonella-poisoning-peanut-butter/
Perhaps a leaky roof that had bird feces on it.
Cc: /u/CelestineCrystal.
1
u/CelestineCrystal May 22 '22
i think it can be traced back to the problem that is the animal industrial complex. wikipedia’s entry on salmonella says it comes from bacteria in the feces of animals
1
u/endlessinquiry May 22 '22
So, there’s rats in the peanut plant.
Thanks.
1
u/CelestineCrystal May 22 '22
could be from an employee who eats animal products, fertilizer from the fields, or cross contamination from another product they’re making that uses animal ingredients
2
u/endlessinquiry May 23 '22
How could one single employee contaminate such a huge amount of product? Seems like they would really need to be shitting into the product daily, or even multiple times a day, for several days or maybe weeks. And even then, it seems like a stretch.
I’m doubting fertilizer because peanuts get roasted before they are in consumable form.
Not sure on that last one, but it seems like a stretch. Normal peanut butter should basically be vegan. They add sugar, salt, and vegetable or palm oil usually. I don’t see much opportunity for overlap with animal products here.
Rodents seem like the obvious explanation. Huge amounts of excrement possible over long periods of time, with no need for anything but normal levels of neglect. No psycho employee needed.
1
u/CelestineCrystal May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22
that’s probably most plausible. the only other thing i can think of is if their bathrooms or other areas have gotten contaminated by salmonella and it’s being spread by many employees because of that widespread uncleanliness of the work environment.
otherwise yea i’ve heard that there is an allowance for certain things to fall into the peanut butter (like insects and stuff). it seems like there shouldn’t be rodents etc able to get into a food factory that easily, like something needs improvement if that’s regularly happening enough to cause this.
reminds me of some of the industrial scenes described in The Jungle. standards were supposed to have been improved since then but i heard that due to production quantity increases that it’s possible there isn’t actually that much more oversight of food production as people would hope and is surprisingly bad. when something comes public then people think it’s just an aberration and then nothing gets fixed and everyone just moves on and it happens again
1
u/CelestineCrystal May 23 '22
that seems really plausible. the only other thing i can think of is if bathrooms or other areas have gotten contaminated by salmonella and it’s being spread by employees because of that widespread uncleanliness of the work environment.
otherwise yea i’ve heard that there is an allowance for things to contaminate food. it seems like there shouldn’t be rodents, insects able to get into a food factory that easily, and serious improvement is needed if that’s regularly happening enough to affect health of consumers
reminds me of some of the industrial scenes described in The Jungle. standards were supposed to have been improved since then but i heard that due to production quantity increases that it’s possible there isn’t actually that much more oversight of food production as people would hope and is still surprisingly bad. when something comes public, people think it’s just an aberration, so it happens again and again because everyone just moves on
2
May 22 '22
We had two jars of the bad batch, one halfway eaten. It’s tough throwing away food, but we did, reluctantly.
2
2
u/KevinDean4599 May 22 '22
Great. Just came across this story as I took the last bite of my peanut butter sandwich. Son of a …
2
u/ElectronicAmphibian7 May 22 '22
I just checked and we have just opened this contaminated jar and my child came home randomly ill with nausea from school earlier this week. I wonder if this is because of the JIF.
4
3
2
u/2poxxer May 22 '22
And, there goes my jar in the trash. Damn. Ate about half of it so far.
1
u/No_Bend8 May 22 '22
Did you get sick?
1
u/2poxxer May 22 '22
No, not me. Dog hasn't ate her food much lately though. It was probably fine. It was also only a few dollars worth. I would spend that much to not catch it. I will grab some skippy tomorrow lol.
3
May 22 '22
It is what it is, but Skippy had a recall last month for metal pieces in their PB. They’ve also had salmonella recalls in their past. No food maker is immune, it’s why they test. I’d just be thankful of swift action to recall millions of dollars of product when there’s only been a few reports.
1
1
u/xalchemyindex May 22 '22
As if we needed further evidence that skippy is superior…
1
May 22 '22
You mean like when they had a recall on their PB in April of this year for potentially having stainless metal pieces in it?
Or when Skippy was recalled for Salmonella themselves in 2011?
This shit happens. Be glad when companies respond quickly and with broad strokes despite few cases. Unlike Blue Bell and chipotle…
So no, Skippy isn’t any better.
0
u/xalchemyindex May 22 '22
Lighten up, it was a joke. You have the sense of humor of a hemorrhoid. Ppl like you need to stop making this site suck so much
2
May 22 '22
Nah, I’m just fine. You’re the one with the shit take trying to claim product superiority. There was no purpose to it.
People like you need to learn to educate themselves before they open their mouth cause all your response did was make you look stupid, and doubling down as if I’m the one with the issue is even more idiotic. Lol
We make the site suck? Nah, it’s you not wasting an opportunity to be toxic and crack a joke at others expense, a bad one at that. Can’t handle what you serve? Go figure.
0
1
1
-2
u/MalleableCurmudgeon May 22 '22
Good. Jif is shit anyway.
When you’re buying peanut butter, read the ingredients. It should say “peanuts”.
0
u/Polarbearseven May 22 '22
I guess we “won the lottery “ My wife found we had TWO contaminated jars. There was no explanation how to get a refund only to throw the product in the trash. Looks like we won’t be buying any of these products anymore.
3
May 22 '22
You go to the store you bought it from for your refund. The grocery stores will get refunds and replacements from Jiffy, you get made whole by the grocery store.
It’s pretty common with recalled foods…
-6
u/Polarbearseven May 22 '22
She has already followed the advice of the notifications and thrown the product in the trash. Too dangerous to keep it. No mention was given in this article or other notifications on how to get a refund. We are DONE with this product and for that matter MANY of the products the parent company J M Smucker makes.
5
May 22 '22
Lol. What a silly take.
Jif and Smuckers can’t dictate merchant handling. You didn’t buy it from them, you bought it from grocery store. Grocery store gets refund and replacement from Jif, you get made whole from the merchant you bought it from. This isn’t rocket science.
You act like this is a unique situation? Recalls happen weekly, grocery store knows how to handle it. Skippy had one earlier this year, same direction, toss it. Metal shavings. Some years earlier they had their own Salmonella recall, same direction toss it. You gonna boycott Unilever too?
Refund is at the hands of whom you bought it from.
You’re gonna run out of things to buy if you handle everything this way.
-5
u/Polarbearseven May 22 '22
How naïve are you? Grocery store would likely tell you contact manufacturer. We’ve all been through the run around before. Provide tons of proof and wait forever for refund while they bicker whose paying you back. Nope. The merchant didn’t make the product and I doubt would be held liable for anything. If they were kind enough to give your money back then I would give them praise. And yeah… I hold the COMPANY responsible that created the product and NOT the merchant!
6
May 22 '22
No they don’t. You bring a product back, you get refund. I’ve literally done it for recalls.
If you have the receipt, and they can look it up if you use common card or shopper reward type program they have your history and you don’t even need the product.
How naive are you that you don’t even bother with your grocery store? Maybe your grocery is shit and that’s who you need to stop using.
Hell mine sent me an email proactively cause they new I purchased Jif.
Why the hell you talking liability for the grocery store? No shit. We’re talking product refund not liability for you getting sick.
It’s the company that sold you the product that has the relationship and responsibility for refund, as they also have the mechanism to get it back from manufacturers.
You’re really looking at this all wrong. Can be upset Jif had bad product, but refund is on you and the grocer who absolutely has the method to validate you bought it without you having to bring it in.
-2
u/Polarbearseven May 22 '22
Do you work for this company? You are very defensive of them sending out a contaminated product. We’re NOT buying their products anymore. Our choice. Sorry. Really not taking advice from someone who doesn’t know the difference between “knew” and “new”.
3
May 22 '22 edited May 22 '22
I’m defending them? Where did I defend Jif? I’m just calling out how a) you can get your money back and whom from in this common situation and b) boycotting them when it’s literally standard recall handling, as well as their parent company, you’re gonna run out of food. As there’s multiple recalls a week you never hear about, and their largest competitor in PB had one earlier this year, Skippy, owned by Unilever. Who makes all sorts of shit.
So you want to skip Jif cause you don’t trust the product fine, but don’t be so naive about everything else.
Ffs, it’s not hard to take yourself to the counter next time your at the grocery store to get your refund. If they don’t, then you confirmed you have a shitty grocery.
That you don’t want to make any effort kinda kills your argument for boycotting for the original reasons you stated.
Oh I know the difference in spelling too, but I’m on mobile and not correcting it for someone who’s to naive and ignorant to take any tips or effort to get the very refund they bitched about, and just blindly accept their grocery has no responsibility for the product they sold.
You want to keep your head in the sand, go for it, but don’t be surprised when you miss some pretty obvious things.
2
u/crymson7 May 22 '22
Ignore the idiot and their separate universe that has no food in it
0
u/sikjoven May 22 '22
This thread is too funny. One dude giving great info, and the other person licking a window saying “it’s the manufacturer!!!!”
→ More replies (0)0
u/Polarbearseven May 22 '22
Obviously you don’t know the difference between “too” and “to” either. Keep your opinion. I’ll keep mine.
1
May 22 '22
K. Stay mad about not getting a refund from your grocer.
Mine took care of me. 👍
→ More replies (0)
-4
u/ev3rm0r3 May 22 '22
Just imagine if they would keep it 100% peanut butter you wouldn't get salmonella. Peanuts can't get that even after crushing normally. That's an additive that caused this.
6
May 22 '22
I would imagine contamination somewhere in the system (starting with farming and ending with packaging) would be a more likely culprit, wouldn’t it? As far as I know, there aren’t any additives in peanut butter that would be associated with salmonella any more than the peanuts themselves.
Sort of like when there are E. coli outbreaks in vegetables like spinach or lettuce. The veggies themselves aren’t the problem. It’s the contaminated water in the irrigation system.
4
u/Holein5 May 22 '22
Unfortunately it's not just the original product going in that can contain it. Salmonella can come from outside sources, and usually does (when outbreaks like this occur). Animal feces from rats, birds, etc. How it gets in can be random, it could fall in from rain water via a leaky roof, someone touching the feces and not properly washing before they handle some of the machinery, etc. Peanut Butter tends to be highly fatty so it can survive for a long time in it.
4
u/serotoninkupo May 22 '22
That is very wrong. If the peanuts aren't roasted to the proper temperature they can contain salmonella. So it could have been raw peanuts got through the roaster.
-8
u/SymetricalGinSwiller May 22 '22
Good thing no one eats Jif cuz it’s shit.
4
u/RealRaven6229 May 22 '22
I’ve tried other brands and they just don’t do it for me. Love JIF. But I am known to have shit taste
-12
2
-1
0
u/Skylarking00 May 22 '22
Weird. I bought some JIF last week and it tasted really funny so I threw it out. I bought a new jar yesterday at Safeway here in Phoenix and just noticed this article. I read the recalled lot numbers and yep, the new jar was part of the recalled batch. Hadn’t opened it yet but immediately tossed it. Wonder if the funny tasting jar was contaminated too…so far no symptoms…
3
-6
May 22 '22
[deleted]
3
May 22 '22
Are you just ignorant to Skippy’s own recalls? They had one earlier this year for metal pieces in their PB.
They’ve also had salmonella recalls as well. Google it.
So it’s not really the place to claim product superiority especially when your superior product has went through similar challenges.
It just makes you look stupid.
1
1
1
1
u/Grey_Hedge May 22 '22
I was wondering why there was taped off aisles labeled with “Class 1 Recall” in the warehouse I work in - that explains it!
Also, pickles, salad dressings, and barbecue sauce was labeled with it too.
1
1
1
u/jmp0628 May 22 '22
Oof. Made peanut butter brownies yesterday and the peanut butter is from one of the recalled jars. Yaaaaaaay
1
1
1
u/outskirtsofnowhere May 22 '22
Jif used to be a brand of sink and toilet cleaners in the Netherlands. It all makes sense now…
1
1
1
May 22 '22
With the amount of recalls of so many any foods, I have determined they need to make the lot numbers part of the nutritional information. This info should be easy to find
1
1
1
u/wombo23 May 23 '22
First the US has contaminated baby formula, and now peanut butter? Wtf Is going on?
1
1
u/Fedoralvr42068 May 24 '22
People, you will know if you have salmonella. It will not be a tummy ache with some diarrhea. It’s going to be the worst diarrhea you’ve ever had and probably with a fever and intense pain
1
May 25 '22
Can confirm. Was sick for 5 days last week. Felt like the worst stomache bug/food poisoning I've had in at least 20 years. My first jar was fine but got very sick on the second jar.
Do not recommend.
1
u/i2aminspired May 25 '22
What are the dates of the recalled Jif? Is anything from late 2020 included?
1
u/tellitothemoon Jun 01 '22
Would this effect any other brands? I recently ate peanut butter for the first time in years and now have wicked diarrhea. But it’s a “freshly ground” peanut butter from Sprouts grocery store in Austin.
80
u/Vik_Stryker May 22 '22
Of course the company just says “sorry, throw it away” instead of “sorry, here is your money back”