(CNN) — The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that nSpired Natural Foods Inc. is voluntarily recalling several lots of peanut, almond and other nut butters on fears of salmonella contamination. The company was made aware of the risk after routine testing showed a potential link between consumption of these products and four instances of illness.
The affected products include Arrowhead Mills Peanut Butters, MaraNatha Almond Butters and Peanut Butters and specific private label nut butters sold under the Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger and Safeway brands.
A complete list of products involved in the recall can be found on FDA.gov. The company is working with consumers and retailers to remove inventory from retail shelves and warehouses. The products were sold in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Dominican Republic and online.
Customers are being advised to dispose of any potentially affected containers of nut butter and contact the company directly at 1-800-937-7008 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT for a replacement or refund.
A 2012 recall because of Salmonella Bredeney in peanut butter produced by Sunland Inc. resulted in 42 cases of illness and the eventual closure of the company after filing for bankruptcy.
The CDC reports that people in a normal state of health who ingest Salmonella-tainted food may experience diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, which typically begin within 12 to 72 hours. This may be accompanied by vomiting, chills, headache and muscle pains.
These symptoms may last about four to seven days and then go away without specific treatment, but left unchecked, Salmonella infection may spread to the bloodstream and beyond. It can cause death if the person is not treated promptly with antibiotics.
Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune symptoms should practice extreme caution.
About 48 million people contract some form of food poisoning each year, according to the CDC.
Salmonella was the top cause of foodborne illness, according to the CDC’s 2012 report card on food poisoning. However, the overall incidence of Salmonella was unchanged from the 2006-08 data, the agency said. The report card is based on reports from 10 U.S. regions, representing about 15% of the country.
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