Salmonella warning -- peanut butter

 

For Immediate Release:                                                       

January 20, 2009                                                        

 

 

Consumers Cautioned to Avoid Sweet Success Frozen Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

 Cookie dough was distributed through schools as a fundraiser

 

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Health Officer, Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, is warning consumers not to handle, bake, or eat frozen Peanut Butter Cookie Dough distributed by Sweet Success Fundraising, Inc. of Ontario, CA because of potential contamination with Salmonella. It is recommended that raw dough, and dough that has been thawed or baked should be discarded.

 

The frozen cookie dough was distributed to school districts in Los Angeles County from December 8, 2008 to January 8, 2009 as part of school fund raising activities by the schools’ student bodies. The product, which was packaged in a white, plastic, three-pound tub, was not distributed as part of the school meals program, nor was it distributed directly to consumers through grocery or other retail food stores.

 

Schools that may have participated in selling the Sweet Success Peanut Butter Cookie Dough include:

• Fremont Elementary School, Alhambra Unified School District

2001 Elm St, Alhambra, CA 91803

• De Anza Elementary School, Baldwin Park Unified School District

12820 E Bess Ave, Baldwin Park, CA 91706

• Edgewood Academy, Bassett Unified School District

14135 Fairgrove Ave, La Puente, CA 91746

• Los Robles Academy School, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District

1530 S Ridley Ave, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

• 93rd Street Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District

330 E 93rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90003

• Independence Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District

8435 Victoria Ave, South Gate, CA 90280

• Walnut Park Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District

2642 Olive St, Huntington Park, CA 90255

• Melvin Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District

7770 Melvin Ave, Reseda, CA 91335

 

Peanut Corporation America voluntarily recalled certain lots of peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Georgia processing facility because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The

recalled peanut butter may have been used as an ingredient in the frozen Peanut Butter Cookie Dough distributed by Sweet Success, after December 8, 2008. The California Department of Public Health is working closely with the State Department of Education on this matter.

These bacteria can cause serious and occasionally fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of infection in otherwise healthy individuals often include fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, and abdominal cramps. Consumers with symptoms of salmonella should consult their doctor, and report their illness to Public Health Acute Communicable Disease Control at (213) 240-7941.

 

Consumers with questions about the cookie dough should call Sweet Success Fundraising, Inc. at (909) 947-5800.

 

For more information on Salmonella and ways to avoid it, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub_salmonella.htm.

 

The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $750 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do, please visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

 

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