The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services is warning residents not to eat or buy a type of Trader Joe’s peanut butter because of a possible link to a national salmonella outbreak. Trader Joe’s has issued a voluntary recall for its Trader Joe’s Salted Valencia Peanut Butter.
The market chain gave no specific lot numbers for the recall.
The state health department said a North Carolina child is among at least 29 salmonella cases nationwide believed to be connected to the product.
“The investigation into the exact source of the infection is ongoing, so until there more details, we recommend that anyone who has any of this particular product at home discard it immediately,” Dr. Megan Davies, the state epidemiologist, said in a press release Saturday.
Salmonella infections can include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours after a person comes into contact with the germ. The illness typically lasts 4-7 days, and most people don’t require treatment, according to state health officials. In rare cases, diarrhea can be so severe that a patient needs hospitalization.
More information on salmonella is on the state health department website.
Details on the federal Centers for Disease Control investigation are at www.cdc.gov.
