Oregon Warns Recipients of Food Boxes About Recall of Jif Peanut Butter

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is warning the people of Oregon to be on the lookout for Jif brand peanut butter that may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.

J.M. Smucker Co., the parent company for the peanut butter brand, issued a voluntary recall on Friday. The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners are investigating this outbreak.

The recalled peanut butter was distributed in retail stores and other outlets throughout the country. It includes creamy, crunchy and natural varieties.

Jif peanut butter was included in food boxes distributed through OHA’s food box program. OHA has investigated further and determined that the recall lot does include the Jif peanut butter that was distributed in the food boxes. This only impacts the peanut butter product inside the food box which can be exchanged for a replacement or refunded. 

What to look for

Starting today, staff with the Oregon Health Authority is visiting all OHA food hubs and inspecting respective food boxes in order to substitute any recall product for new.  This work will require the remainder of this week to accomplish and all food hubs are being notified this evening. All warehoused Jif products that are waiting to be distributed have been thoroughly inspected and replaced.

To see if your jar of Jif peanut butter is being recalled, check the lot number that is printed below the "Best if Used by" date on the label.

Products with lot codes 1274425 – 2140425, with the digits 425 in the 5th-7th position, are being recalled. This information is printed on the back label of the jar.

Photo courtesy: Food and Drug Administration

Cleanup and resources

A list of recalled products and their numbers can also be seen on the FDA's website. If you happen to have a jar included in the recall, you should throw it away immediately. After throwing the peanut butter out, OHA recommends washing and sanitizing any surfaces or containers that might have come into contact with the peanut butter.

For many infected people, symptoms appear 12 to 72 hours after contact and often include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people who are infected recover within four to seven days and do not need any treatment. More serious and severe cases can occur, though, so OHA recommends contacting your health care provider if you believe you have been infected.

Currently, there are 14 cases across 12 states, two hospitalizations, no deaths and no cases in Oregon.

OHA recommends that all peanut butter distributed from April 15 through May 23 be immediately thrown away or exchanged at a retail store.

Product can also be reimbursed directly by Jif by following their instructions at: https://jms-s3-mkt-consumer-p-pmc6.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/recall.html.

Consumers who have questions or would like to report adverse reactions should visit www.jif.com/contact-us or call 800-828-9980 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.