Schools Drop the Peanut Butter

If you see an empty slot in the school vending machine, it was probably the place that held peanut butter crackers – or something else that contained the delicious spread that has sparked fear among parents across the country.

Many school districts in Connecticut have removed peanut butter products from cafeterias and vending machines because of concerns about a nationwide salmonella outbreak.


Get the full list of recalled products here.

The recall expanded Wednesday to include dog treats and more. Click here for the latest.


In Glastonbury, school officials got rid of all peanut butter and peanut butter products such as sandwich crackers because parents were worried.

You won’t find peanut butter crackers on the menu of Wheeler Elementary School in Plainville and school officials collected products brought from home and alerted parents to the salmonella warning.

The salmonella outbreak may have contributed to the deaths of six people and sickened more than 470 others in 43 states.

Nine people in the state got sick from salmonella, but all have recovered, Connecticut officials said.

The state's  commissioner of consumer protection advises people to temporarily stop eating cookies, cakes and other commercially processed food containing peanut butter until more is known about the extent of salmonella contamination.

Federal officials have traced the outbreak to a Georgia plant that makes peanut butter and peanut paste and sells it to institutions and food companies.

A tub of contaminated King Nut peanut butter found at a West Haven distributor is the first independently confirmed genetic match for the salmonella strain responsible for the nationwide outbreak, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection said Tuesday.

Peanut butter sold in jars to consumers is not included in the recalls. Get the full list of recalled peanut butter products here.

 The Department of Consumer Protection is continuing to work with the Public Health laboratories and believe the outbreak might soon be contained.


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Copyright AP - Associated Press
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