Peanut Butter Recall Hits Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Target

Last month's voluntary recall of peanut butter products sold at Trader Joe's stores has been expanded to include more than 70 products sold at Whole Foods and Target as well.

A manager at ., said the store removed the products.

A customer service representative from Trader Joe's said that the company has removed all the products listed in the recall that were manufactured during the time period. The representative, who would only give her name as Amy, said the company would not provide any information regarding how many of the products had already been sold from the Oak Park store and how many, if any, had been returned.

A manager was unavailable for comment from . A call to Whole Food Market regional headquarters was unreturned as well. We'll update readers with any response we receive.

Some stores that carry the products named in the recall include:

• Target
• Whole Foods
• Walmart
• GNC
• Meijer

Sunland Inc., the company that manufactured the products, has issued a voluntary recall because they may contain Salmonella—an organism that can cause serious infections in older adults, young children and those with weakened immune systems.

Salmonella symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can be fatal to people with weakened or undeveloped immune systems.

See a full list of the products listed in the recall here.

According to a statement from the Food and Drug Administration, the products that are being recalled were manufactured between May 1 and Sept. 24 this year.

The recall was initiated after Sunland, Inc. learned that 29 people had reported salmonella-matching illnesses in 18 states including Illinois, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sept. 22.

Jimmie Shearer, President and CEO of Sunland, Inc. released this statement from the company about recall efforts:

"There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter everyday. While FDA, CDC, and State Health Agencies investigate to confirm the cause of illnesses reported, as a precautionary step, we have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012. If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it."

Did you purchase one of these products from a store in Oak Park, River Forest of Forest Park? Tell us in comments below.

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