Peanut Butter Recall Hits Illinois & 39 States Over Plastic Risk

When there's a product recall on something that 90-95 percent of American households keep on hand at all times, it really gets some attention from people.

Peanut butter, in spite of some worries about peanut allergies, would easily win the title of America's favorite spread, assuming we had a national competition for spreads (which we don't).

In doing some research involving brand studies, I found that most tracking sources say that 65 percent of millennials eat it at least once a week. For Gen-Z, it's right about 50 percent, and while there are no specific numbers for Baby Boomers, 85 percent of that group say peanut butter is a permanent fixture on their grocery shopping lists.

A Major Peanut Butter Recall Now Spans 40 States, Including Illinois

The reason is that manufacturers discovered small pieces of blue plastic that could end up in consumers’ mouths.

The recall involves more than 22,000 single-serve peanut butter products, including individual peanut butter packets and small peanut-butter-and-jelly cups, made by Ventura Foods LLC and distributed to schools, cafeterias, hospitals, restaurants, and other foodservice operations across the country.

Officials say the contamination was traced to blue plastic fragments found in a filter at the production facility. While the issue doesn’t appear to involve the larger retail jars found in regular grocery aisles, any affected products in your pantry should be treated with caution.

The US Food And Drug Administration (FDA) Has Classified This As A Class II Recall

For those unfamiliar with the term, a Class II recall means the products may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health effects if consumed. Though the risk of serious injury is considered somewhat remote, the chance of choking or minor mouth and throat injury from ingesting plastic can't be ruled out.

Illinois consumers should check over any peanut butter packs or PB&J cups you may have on hand. If the packaging matches recall lists, especially products sold under private-label or distributor brands such as US Foods, Sysco’s House Recipe, Flavor Fresh, Katy’s Kitchen, and others, do not consume them. At this time no illnesses or injuries have been reported in connection with the contamination, but the FDA and Ventura Foods are urging vigilance and immediate action.

Consumers who find recalled products should discard them immediately or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Here's What You Should Be Looking For

These are single-serve peanut butter products, not the usual retail jars, that were made at a Ventura Foods facility and distributed to schools, cafeterias, hospitals, restaurants, and breakrooms across 40 states, including Illinois:

• .75-ounce peanut butter packets under brands such as:

  • Flavor Fresh

  • House Recipe (Sysco)

  • Katy’s Kitchen

• 2-ounce creamy peanut butter & grape jelly twin packs

• 2-ounce creamy peanut butter & strawberry jam twin packs

If you have products with either of these sets of lot numbers, they’re part of the recall:

Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly

• D086F03

• D076F03

• D077F03

• D102F03

• D104F03

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam

• D090F03

• D091F03

• D105F03

The lot number will usually be printed on the bottom or back of the single-serve pack, not the UPC barcode. Compare the code you see with the lists above before serving or eating.