King Nut has issued a recall of King Nut and Parnell's Pride Peanut Butter after being informed that a strain of Salmonella Typhimurium implicated in a nation-wide outbreak, was found in an open 5-lb tub of the peanut butter. About 400 people in 43 states have been infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Typhimurium, which began between Sept. 3 and Dec. 31, 2008 with most cases occurring after Oct. 1 [Source: FoodBusinessNews.net].

This is right on the heels of a prior multistate outbreak which left over 1400 people ill from Salmonella Saint Paul during April - August 2008, in which raw tomatoes, raw jalapeño peppers, and raw cilantro were implicated.

Another massive peanut butter recall (from Salmonella Tennessee) occurred in February 2007, involving ConAgra's Peter Pan and Great Value Peanut Butter, which was implicated in an outbreak that began in August 2006 and sickened almost 300 people nationwide [Source]. A timeline for the latest Salmonella outbreaks can be found on the website of the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

What you can do: Now may be a good time to step away from peanut butter. If you must have it, stick to brands that have put out notices definitely stating that they are NOT involved in the recall.

Photo Credit: cw3283 (cwPhotography)/ Flickr