The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 21 local time that it was investigating Salmonella outbreaks in several states related to jif peanut butter products. The FDA said it had worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and several local agencies to investigate peanut butter produced by J.M. smock's factory in Lexington, Kentucky.
The FDA quoted the CDC as saying that the company's products "are likely" to be the origin of five confirmed cases of Salmonella infection. All five patients said they ate the brand of peanut butter before they got sick.
It is reported that FDA has conducted whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis on environmental samples collected at J.M. smock's facility in Lexington, Kentucky in 2010. The analysis showed that the environmental samples in 2010 matched the strains causing the disease in the Salmonella epidemic.
At present, J.M. smock has voluntarily recalled some jif peanut butter products distributed throughout the United States and warned consumers of possible Salmonella infection. The company also announced that it would voluntarily recall several products sold in Canada due to potential safety risks.