GREENSBORO, N.C. — Right now, Jif peanut butter products are being recalled due to a salmonella outbreak. At least 14 people have reported illness from the multi-state outbreak, and two have been hospitalized.
Despite the numbers, we’ve seen several comments like this on our WFMY social media pages:
“Already ate half the jar, so I am not going to throw it away.”
“Have been eating out of a jar with this number for a while now, not sick.”
Dr. Sloan Manning is a family physician with Novant Health. He said any peanut butter products listed in the recall should be tossed out because the next spoonful could be the one that makes you sick.
“Even if you've been eating out of it for a while and you've had it for a while you definitely want to toss open, unopened, half used or not used lots of peanut butter that are in that recall, “Sloan said. “You just don't want to put yourself at risk because there's plenty of other peanut butter that you can get that's not recalled and it's better to be safe than sorry."
Salmonella is a bacteria and a common cause of food poisoning. According to the CDC, about 1.35 million people are infected every year with 420 dying as a result.
Sloan said most people who get sick from salmonella have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps and recover without treatment, but in some cases, people can become dehydrated and need medical attention.
“Typically, the fevers are pretty high, over 102,” Sloan said. “Diarrhea can be bloody, and people can get very dehydrated and very sick very quickly. It's most dangerous as many other things for the very young and the very old"
Common causes of salmonella poisoning include:
- Eating raw or undercooked foods that have been contaminated
- Unwashed raw fruits and vegetables can carry the bacteria
- Raw eggs and unpasteurized dairy products
- Cross-contamination in the kitchen when handling raw meats.
- Handling of turtles, snakes, and lizards.
Sloan says washing your hands, keeping food preparation areas clean, and being careful when handling pets can help to prevent infection.