Urgent Health Alert: Major Peanut Butter Recall Spreads Across 40 States Due to Listeria Concerns

There's an important health alert making headlines that everyone, especially those involved with food service or institutional kitchens, needs to pay close attention to. A significant Class II recall has been announced by W.F. Thomsen, Inc., operating as American Fresh Foods, affecting various peanut butter products. The reason? A concerning potential for contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that, frankly, can cause some pretty serious health issues.

Now, before you rush to your pantry, let's clarify something crucial. This isn't a recall hitting your local grocery store shelves directly. Instead, these potentially affected peanut butter items were distributed primarily to food service establishments and institutional customers — think schools, hospitals, nursing homes, or restaurants — across a staggering 40 states and the District of Columbia. That's a huge footprint, encompassing places from Alabama all the way to Wisconsin, and many in between. So, if you're managing a kitchen in one of these settings, this information is absolutely vital.

The immediate concern here is Listeria monocytogenes. It’s a sneaky pathogen that, while often causing mild, flu-like symptoms in healthy individuals (we're talking high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and sometimes diarrhea), can be downright dangerous for others. We're talking about young children, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, a Listeria infection can be incredibly serious, even fatal. And for pregnant women, it carries a particularly heartbreaking risk, potentially leading to miscarriages or stillbirths. The good news, if there is any to be found here, is that W.F. Thomsen, Inc. hasn't received any reports of illness linked to these products so far. But, as we all know, prevention is always the best cure.

So, which products are we talking about exactly? The recall includes several variations of their peanut butter. Here’s a breakdown of the specific items, packaging sizes, and those all-important lot numbers to check:

• Peanut Butter Creamy: Available in 5lb (Lot #3175) and 30lb (Lot #3175) containers.
• Peanut Butter Smooth: Packaged in 5lb (Lot #3175) and 35lb (Lot #3175) sizes.
• Peanut Butter Crunchy: You'll find this in 5lb (Lot #3175) and 30lb (Lot #3175) containers.
• Honey Peanut Butter: This variety comes in a 5lb (Lot #3175) package.

All these products carry the lot number #3175. It's truly essential to cross-reference any bulk peanut butter you have on hand against these details.

If you've identified any of these products in your establishment, please do not consume them. The FDA and W.F. Thomsen, Inc. are urging anyone who has purchased these specific peanut butter items to immediately destroy them or, alternatively, return them to their place of purchase for a full refund. Your proactive action in this matter is crucial not just for your own safety, but for the safety of everyone you serve. Let's make sure these potentially contaminated products are off the market and out of reach as quickly as possible.