Whole Story

The Official Whole Foods Market® Blog

Peanut Butter Recall -- Updated 2/10/09 5pm

By Paige Brady, February 9, 2009  |  Meet the Blogger  |  More Posts by Paige Brady

******Updated 2/16/09******** Please refer to our latest blog post for updates on the PCA recall. ******* Updated 2/10/09 5pm CST ******* Products added to recall list: Erin Baker’s Home-style Granola – Peanut Butter flavor SunSpire Organic Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Clusters******* Updated 2/6/09 4pm CST ******* Products added to recall list: Boston Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Boston Cookies Peanut Fudge Brownies Kariba Farms Thai Peanut NutCrusters Coating Mix KA-ME Green Tea Pumpkin Seed Snack Mix ******Updated 2/4/09 7pm CST****** Products added to recall list: ReNew Life Formulas Organic Fiber Bar Peanut Butter Chocolate Bulk: Caribbean Crunch Grail Mix Aunt Pattys Trail Mix Org Cascade Aunt Patty Trail Mix Mt Hood Lot number expansion for previously recalled items: Can Do Kid Chocolate Crunch Bars Can Do Kid Cookies & Cream Bars For our Canadian customers, please note that the CFIA is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to identify and remove all affected products imported into Canada from the U.S. The CFIA is also working with Canadian manufacturers to recall foods containing affected U.S. peanuts. As more products are identified, the CFIA will continue to update its list of recalled products. The following foods, manufactured in Canada, are affected: see: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2009/20090203be.shtml The following foods, manufactured in the United States of America, are affected: see: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2009/20090203be.shtml For the complete list of recalled products, including those listed above; please visit our web site at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2009/2009typhe.shtml *****Updated 2/3/09 5pm CST***** Items added to recall list: Earth Island Follow Your Heart Deli Thai Peanut Tofu Wrap Pure Butter Crickle, Peanut - Green Gift Box Expanded lots announced on previously recalled products: Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Pad Thai ThinkThin Dark Chocolate ThinkThin Chocolate Mudslide *****Updated 2/3/09 9am CST***** Confirming that our Whole Foods Market Gluten-Free Bakehouse Peanut Butter Cookies are not affected by the recall. Added to recall list: Chunks of Energy Mixed Berry Blast Chunks of Energy Cranberry Apricot, Organic ****Updated 2/2/09 6pm CST**** Added to recall list: Genisoy Organic Apple Cinnamon Soy Protein Bars Glutino Organic Chocolate & Peanuts Bars Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Trail Mix Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Honey Almond Flax Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Peanut Peanut Butter Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Club Pack Kashi™ TLC™ Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chewy Cookies Kashi™ TLC™ Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chewy Cookie Club Pack Kashi™ TLC™ Happy Trail Mix Chewy Cookies Kashi™ TLC™ Oatmeal Raisin Flax Chewy Cookies ***Updated 2/2/09 11am CST*** Added to recall list: Detour Bars, several varieties including Runner, Biker and Core Strength. No national distribution. ***Updated 1/31/09 6pm CST*** More products have been added to the recall list. See bottom of this post for the full list. Packaged items added to recall 1/31/09: Barron Specialty Foods’ Thai Curry with Peanuts Seasoning Mix Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Pad Thai Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Shrimp Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Tofu Gluten Free Café Asian Noodles Bear Naked Appalachian Trail Mix Bulk items added to recall 1/31/09: Milk Chocolate Peanuts Carob Peanuts Chocolate Bridge Mix 5-Grain Granola Yogurt Peanuts Please note: Many manufacturers receive their supply of ingredients from multiple vendors. Therefore, not all products listed below are recalled in total, but rather specific lot or batch numbers made on certain dates. Please link through to our Product Recalls page to get more specifics directly from each manufacturer. Also, the Clifbar, Luna & Mojo items and the Nature’s Path Optimum Energy Bars listed below have been expanded to include additional lot numbers. **Updated 1/30/09 5pm CST** Numerous packaged and bulk products added to recall list at bottom of post. *Updated 1/30/09 4pm CST* Our Private Label Products Not Sourced from PCA Whole Foods Market has determined through the vendors of our private label products that none of these items contain peanuts or peanut butter sourced from the recalled suppliers. You may continue to enjoy:

  • Whole Foods Market Gluten-Free Bakehouse Peanut Butter Cookies added 2/3/09
  • 365 Organic Peanut Butter Pretzels
  • Whole Ranch Thai Peanut Marinade
  • 365 Organic Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter
  • 365 Organic Organic No Salt Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 365 Organic Organic Unsweetened Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 365 Organic Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 365 Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 365 Crunchy Peanut Butter
  • Whole Paws Hip & Joint Formula Dog Biscuits
  • Whole Paws Healthy Coat Formula Dog Biscuits
  • 365 Organic Organic Honey Roasted Mixed Sesame Bar
  • 365 Organic Organic Honey Roasted Granola Bar
  • 365 Organic Organic Honey Roasted Cranberry Delight Bar
  • 365 Organic Organic Honey Roasted Trail Mix Bar
  • 365 Peanuts Roasted & Salted
  • 365 Peanuts in Shell Salted Ballpark
  • 365 Peanuts in Shell Unsalted Ballpark
  • 365 Roasted & Salted Peanuts
  • 365 Peanuts Salted in Shell
  • 365 Peanuts Unsalted in Shell
  • 365 Peanuts Roasted & Salted
  • 365 Cranberry Trail Mix
  • Whole Kitchen Cashew Chicken
  • Whole Kitchen Pad Thai
  • Whole Catch Pad Thai: Shrimp
  • 365 Organic Organic Peanut Butter Cookies
  • 365 Organic Peanut Butter Cookies
  • 365 Organic Organic Peanut Butter Pows
  • 365 Organic Organic Fruit, Chocolate & Nut Mix
  • 365 Organic Roasted Salted Redskin Peanuts
  • 365 Organic Roasted Unsalted Redskin Peanuts
  • 365 Organic Chocolate Banana & Nut Mix
  • 365 Organic Organic Peanut Sauce

Source ingredients for bulk, bakery and prepared foods items are being investigated. You are welcome to return any peanut-containing product to our stores for a full refund. We will provide updates on recalled items from other vendors as we learn of them. -- Original Post 1/29/09 The Peanut Butter Corporation of American (PCA) has now expanded their recall to include all styles of peanuts and peanut products processed in its Blakely, Georgia, facility since January 1, 2007. The recall now includes products that contain: * peanut granules * peanut meal * dry roasted peanuts * oil roasted peanuts * peanut butter * peanut paste This greatly expands the scope of this health issue and every manufacturer of peanut-containing foods, including us, will need to re-examine their products. On their website, the FDA continues to state "Major national brands of jarred peanut butter found in grocery stores are not affected by the PCA recall." You are welcome to return any peanut-containing product to our stores for a full refund. We don't have many answers at this point but wanted to make our customers aware of the situation.  Please refer to the FDA's website for more specifics. Please note: While new research is being conducted, we will not be able to answer questions about specific peanut related products. We will provide updates to the situation as they become available. Additionally, our answers to previous comments on our former blog post about the recall are not necessarily accurate any longer given the new developments. As of Thursday, Jan. 29, the following products that we carry have been recalled: Recalled Packaged Products

  • Arico Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Cookie Bars added 1/30/09
  • Aurora Caribbean Crunch Grail mix
  • Barron Specialty Foods’ Thai Curry with Peanuts Seasoning Mix added 1/31/09
  • Bear Naked Appalachian Trail Mix added 1/31/09
  • Boston Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies added 2/6/09
  • Boston Cookies Peanut Fudge Brownies added 2/6/09
  • Can Do Kid Chocolate Crunch Bars
  • Can Do Kid Cookies & Cream Bars
  • Chunks of Energy Carob/Hawaiian Spirulina
  • Chunks of Energy High Country Gorp
  • Chunks of Energy Mixed Berry Blast added 2/3/09
  • Chunks of Energy Cranberry Apricot, Organic added 2/3/09
  • Clif 24-count Variety Pack
  • Clif Builder’s Peanut Butter bars
  • Clif Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch bars
  • Clif Crunchy Peanut Butter bars
  • Clif Kid ZBaR Peanut butter bars
  • Clif Kid ZBaR Variety Pack
  • Clif Mini’s Variety Pack
  • Clif Pecan Toffee Buzz bars
  • Cliff Builder’s 18-count Variety Pack
  • Detour Bars, several varieties including Runner, Biker and Core Strength added 2/2/09
  • Earth Island Follow Your Heart Deli Thai Peanut Tofu Wrap added 2/3/09
  • Erin Baker’s Home-style Granola – Peanut Butter flavor added 2/10/09
  • Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Pad Thai added 1/31/09
  • Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Shrimp added 1/31/09
  • Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Tofu added 1/31/09
  • Gluten Free Café Asian Noodles added 1/31/09
  • Genisoy Organic Apple Cinnamon Soy Protein Bars added 2/2/09
  • Glutino Organic Chocolate & Peanuts Bars added 2/2/09
  • Health Valley Organic Peanut Crunch Chewy Granola Bars
  • JamFrakas Peanut Butter BlissCrisp snack bars
  • KA-ME Green Tea Pumpkin Seed Snack Mix added 2/6/09
  • Kariba Farms Thai Peanut NutCrusters Coating Mix added 2/6/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Trail Mix added 2/2/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Honey Almond Flax added 2/2/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Peanut Peanut Butter added 2/2/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Club Pack added 2/2/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chewy Cookies added 2/2/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chewy Cookie Club Pack added 2/2/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Happy Trail Mix Chewy Cookies added 2/2/09
  • Kashi™ TLC™ Oatmeal Raisin Flax Chewy Cookies added 2/2/09
  • LÄRABAR Peanut Butter Cookie
  • Luna Mini’s Variety Pack
  • Luna Nutz Over Chocolate bars
  • Luna Peanut Butter Cookie bars
  • Marin Carob Energee Nuggets
  • MOJO Dipped Chocolate Peanut bars
  • MOJO Dipped Fruit & Nut bars
  • MOJO Dipped Peanut Butter & Jelly bars
  • MOJO Honey Roasted Peanut bars
  • MOJO Mixed Nuts bars
  • MOJO Mountain Mix bars
  • MOJO Peanut Butter Pretzel bars
  • Nature’s Path Optimum Energy Bars Peanut Butter flavor bars
  • Pure Butter Crickle, Peanut - Green Gift Box added 2/3/09
  • ReNew Life Formulas Organic Fiber Bar Peanut Butter Chocolate added 2/4/09
  • Simbree® Oat Almond Pistash added 1/30/09
  • Simbree® Almond Pistachio Energy Bites added 1/30/09
  • Simbree® Oat Bites with Peanuts, Almonds and Pistachios added 1/30/09
  • SunRidge Chocolate Energy Bar (BULK)
  • SunRidge Energy Nuggets
  • SunSpire Organic Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Clusters added 2/10/09
  • ThinkThin Chocolate Mudslide
  • ThinkThin Dark Chocolate
  • Tofu Energee Nuggets
  • Uncle Eddies Individual Organic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Uncle Eddies Individual Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Uncle Eddies Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate-Chip Cookies
  • Whole Foods Carob Energee Nuggets
  • ZonePerfect Chocolate Peanut Butter bars
  • ZonePerfect Peanut Toffee bars

Recalled Bulk Products added 1/30/09

  • 5-Grain Granola added 1/31/09
  • Aunt Pattys Trail Mix Org Cascade added 2/4/09
  • Aunt Patty Trail Mix Mt Hood added 2/4/09
  • Athlete's Mix
  • Baja Fiesta Mix
  • Cajun Hots
  • California Supreme Mix
  • Carob Peanuts added 1/31/09
  • Caribbean Crunch Grail Mix added 2/4/09
  • Cascade Trail Mix
  • Chocolate Bridge Mix added 1/31/09
  • Choco Cranberry Crunch Mix
  • Chocolate Cherry Munch Mix
  • Chocolate Peanuts added 1/31/09
  • Goji Berry Bliss Mix
  • Gourmet Trail Mix
  • Master Zen Party Mix
  • Mixed Nuts, Extra Fancy, Jr Mam, Halves, Raw  from assorted vendors
  • Mocha Madness Mix
  • Natural Gourmet Trail Mix
  • Nuts Over Peanut
  • On The Trail Mix
  • Paradise Mix
  • Peanut Butterstock
  • Peanuts Blanched OR/NS  from assorted vendors
  • Peanuts Blanched OR/S  from assorted vendors
  • Peanuts Raw Blanched  from assorted vendors
  • Peanuts, Blanched Virginia  from assorted vendors
  • Peanuts, Honey Roasted  from assorted vendors
  • Peanuts, Spanish OR/S
  • Pocket of Chocolate Mix
  • Rainbow's End
  • Shelled Peanuts  from assorted vendors
  • Sunglow Snack Mix
  • Sweet Ragin Fire Mix
  • Wasabi Party Mix
  • Wasabi Peanuts
  • Yogurt Passion Mix
  • Yogurt Peanuts added 1/31/09

We will update this as more information becomes available. Remember that this list includes only products that we sell in our stores. We will not list information on products that we do not sell. That information is available on the FDA searchable database and we encourage you to go to their site.

Category: Food Safety
print
Leave A Reply
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they relate to the specific topic discussed in the post on which they are made. Off-topic comments, personal attacks (hostile, derogatory or deliberately insulting comments toward a specific individual or group) and flaming (comments intended to induce an angry response) will not be posted. For more information, please see our Comment Posting Guidelines.

 

80 Comments

Comments

Jay says ...
PCA's Texas facility has now been implicated in the peanut safety issue. Does your 365 Organic Peanut butter source peanuts from this facility.
02/16/2009 6:35:58 PM CST
paig292 says ...
@Jay: No commercial peanut butter has been implicated, including our 365 brand, which is not sourced from any PCA facility.
02/16/2009 8:35:11 PM CST
paig292 says ...
All: Please refer to our most recent blog post http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/02/peanut-recall-21409/ for the latest on the recall.
02/16/2009 8:35:55 PM CST
paig292 says ...
To those of you who have been waiting for answers to your questions, thank you for your understanding and patience. While we certainly don’t have answers to everything at this point, here is what our leadership says at this time: At Whole Foods Market, we share our customers’ concern and dismay over the food safety compliance issues that the FDA and other agencies have discovered at PCA’s peanut processing facilities. With more than 2,100 products recalled nationwide, we are thankful that the impact on products sold in our stores has been more limited in scope. As you may know, to date none of our 365 Private Label products have been affected by this recall. We expect our suppliers to conduct business in a certain manner and we are determined to work with our product manufacturers to address problems that this PCA recall brings to light. While we go about making changes, it is important to note that PCA is facing federal criminal charges for their actions, which include not sharing negative lab results with the manufacturers who bought their products. Their actions affected many vendors, large and small, as well as consumers who became ill. The solution for this must come from a large government and industry effort to ensure the safety of our food supply. In addition to recalled products from third-party suppliers that we sell in our stores, we are concerned about some of the bulk products we provided to our customers that came directly or indirectly from PCA facilities. (These products have been removed from our shelves or recalled.) We always expect our suppliers to conduct business in compliance with all laws and to follow all regulatory procedures. Now, however, we are revising our policies and procedures around bulk products, both prepacked and bin items. We are actively working with our suppliers to establish more stringent protocols for these products. Due to the empowerment of our stores for local and regional buying, our supply chain is very diverse. While we take great pride in the fact that our stores carry local products and go above and beyond to try to meet our customers’ needs, it is a bit unwieldy when one of the largest recalls in U.S. history comes knocking at the door. With a nationalized supply chain, we could have more visibility into what each store had in stock that was affected — because every single store would have the exact same products. But we think the trade-off in doing that wouldn’t allow us to be the company our customers and team members want us to be. So, we will continue to offer local buying but we will also work to put systems in place to help monitor our vendors more closely. We will also continue to work closely with the suppliers whose products we carry, as well as federal and local government agencies, to learn more about this crisis and work together to prevent recurrences. And while we in no way defend PCA or their actions, we do want to clarify a couple of issues. PCA was not considered a “bargain house” in the supply chain. There are varying grades of nuts and we provided top grade nuts in our stores. While other stores may have also carried PCA nuts, if they cost substantially less than ours, they most likely were a different grade of nut. Also, PCA was certified to the USDA’s National Organic Standards by Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA), a third-party organic certifier approved by the USDA. The standard requires that the facility prevent commingling between organic and conventional products, that organic products are protected from contamination with synthetic substances, and that the suppliers to the facility are also certified. The standard also requires that all lines are fully cleaned between conventional and organic production. Many facilities process organic and conventional products, and it is the responsibility of the organic certifier to confirm they have processes in place to ensure the products are not commingled. We hope this helps answer some of your questions. Please know that we are continually working on this issue and developing ideas on how to better serve you, our customers.
02/19/2009 1:53:29 PM CST
Rachel says ...
@Linda and @Paige Brady - Despite the Manufacturer's Website claiming that Masa's gourmet Thai Peanut Sauce would not be affected by the Peanut Butter Recall, I really think that had to have something to do with it. I can't think of what else could explain why, since around this time, I have stopped being able to find it ANYWHERE. I used to buy a ton of it from my local Ralph's (in the Los Angeles - West Hollywood - area), even from Bristol Farms, but now, I can find this flavor NO WHERE. I see other Masa's gourmet sauces on the shelves but NEVER this one. I literally look in every grocery and specialty store I walk into, because this one is my absolute favorite - I love cooking with it and have not been able to find a substitute by another brand that I love as much. I am going to order it now from Rikki Rikki's Website directly - wish me luck! I really wish it would come back to stores :(
09/22/2010 1:12:00 PM CDT

Pages