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Which companies have issued peanut butter recalls for Salmonella or Listeria contamination?
Executive Summary
Two distinct sets of peanut-butter-related recalls appear in the documentation: recent Salmonella-linked recalls centered on J.M. Smucker’s Jif peanut butter and earlier high-profile salmonella events linked to Peanut Corp. of America, while a separate 2024 recall involved Hormel/Planters products because of a possible Listeria risk. The record also contains some unrelated or non-specific items (privacy policy text, an aflatoxin case in South Africa) that do not bear on Salmonella or Listeria but show the importance of checking authoritative recall notices from agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and state public health partners before consuming or serving peanut-containing products [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. How a 2025 Salmonella outbreak led to a major Jif recall and downstream product pulls
The most detailed recent account identifies a multistate Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak linked to Jif peanut butter produced at J.M. Smucker’s Lexington, Kentucky facility; the company voluntarily recalled lots with codes between 1274425 and 2140425 after federal and state investigations identified the link, and the CDC reported illnesses across multiple states with hospitalizations prompting sanitation and consumer advisories [2] [1]. The recall expanded as retailers and manufacturers pulled products made with the recalled peanut butter—companies such as Cargill, Albertsons Companies, Giant Eagle and others were reported to have removed affected finished products from shelves or recalled them when their items contained the implicated Jif lots. The public-health guidance emphasized checking lot codes, discarding or returning recalled products, and thorough cleaning of surfaces and utensils that contacted the peanut butter to prevent cross-contamination [1] [2].
2. The historical precedent: Peanut Corp. of America’s 2009 Salmonella episode still matters
A separate historical incident from 2009 involved Peanut Corp. of America, which shipped Salmonella-contaminated peanut products and subsequently closed processing plants in Blakely, Georgia, and Plainview, Texas; that outbreak was large, led to corporate shutdowns and criminal investigations, and remains a reference point for why peanut-butter recalls trigger intense regulatory and media attention [3]. The 2009 case changed industry practices, spurred litigation, and highlighted third-party supplier risks to branded product lines; companies that control their own peanut-butter supply chains, like the example of Lance Inc. in the source, emphasized internal quality controls to distance themselves from supplier-linked recalls. The historical comparison helps explain why retailers and manufacturers move quickly to pull any finished goods that might have received recalled ingredient lots to limit exposure and liability [3].
3. A separate 2024 Listeria recall affected Planters-branded products, not Jif or typical peanut butter jars
In May 2024, Hormel Foods, owner of Planters, initiated a recall for specific Planters peanut and mixed-nut products over a possible Listeria contamination, involving honey-roasted peanuts and mixed nuts shipped to retail chains including Publix and Dollar Tree distribution centers; publicly available notices specified UPCs and “Best If Used By” dates and urged consumers to discard or return affected products, with no illnesses reported at the time [4] [5]. This event demonstrates that Listeria concerns are typically associated with ready-to-eat, packaged nut and mixed-nut products or processing environments rather than only with creamy peanut butter jars, although the underlying risk management and consumer advice—check product identifiers, discard suspect items, and consult official agency notices—remain similar across pathogen types [4] [5].
4. Don’t be misled: unrelated documents and different contamination types appear in search results
Some documents in the dataset do not directly verify peanut-butter recalls for Salmonella or Listeria; for example, multiple entries are site-policy texts or non-specific recall roundups that do not add factual recall details [8]. Another item cites a South African case involving aflatoxin contamination and a recall/fine for a local peanut-butter maker—this is a different hazard (chemical/mycotoxin) and different regulatory framing than Salmonella or Listeria incidents, underscoring that not every “peanut butter recall” shares the same cause or public-health implications [6]. Users should prioritize official recall notices and outbreak investigations from agencies (CDC, FDA, state health departments) or brand recall statements for precise product identifiers and remediation steps [7].
5. What this means for consumers and how to verify affected brands and lots quickly
Consumers should check lot codes and product identifiers against official recall pages because the implicated companies differ by pathogen and incident: J.M. Smucker (Jif) for the 2025 Salmonella Senftenberg recall, Hormel (Planters) for the May 2024 Listeria-related nut recall, and historically Peanut Corp. of America for the 2009 Salmonella crisis; other retailers and manufacturers pulled or recalled items containing affected ingredient lots in downstream supply chains, which complicates traceability [2] [1] [4] [5] [3]. To confirm whether a specific jar or packaged item is affected, consult the CDC and FDA recall pages or brand press releases and examine lot codes and UPCs; follow agency guidance on disposal or returns and on sanitizing surfaces to reduce cross-contamination risks [7] [2].