BEH: No peanut butter in stores pulled out so far

The Bureau of Environmental Health reported yesterday that stores on Saipan and Rota don’t carry any of the brands included in the Food and Drug Administration’s list of 18 suspected peanut-butter brands that caused the salmonella outbreak in the U.S.

This comes as the FDA warned consumers to avoid cookies, cakes and other foods containing peanut butter pending the results of the investigation. Peanut butter sold in jars to consumers is not included.

According to BEH director John Tagabuel, the agency’s inspectors on Saipan and Rota have called, verified, and conducted random inspections of peanut butter suppliers on the two islands.

“To date, the CNMI doesn’t have or imported the identified peanut brands,” Tagabuel said, adding that Saipan has inspected 37 establishments to date while Rota has reported zero inventory of the mentioned products in the three retail establishments inspected.

BEH, meanwhile, is still awaiting response from Tinian BEH offices.

Tagabuel noted that the peanut recall investigation continues and the agency will monitor notifications from FDA.

Saipan Tribune also learned that the BEH inspected 14 major wholesalers and 23 retail stores on Saipan, while three were checked on Rota.

“BEH office and inspectors during their course of inspection continues to advise food partners and wholesale/retail vendors to remove all the USA imported peanut and by-product from their inventories,” Tagabuel said.

The following are the products, manufacturers, and state originating from ordered to be pulled out immediately from the markets:

– King Nut Peanut Better, Minnesota;

– Perry Ice Cream, Buffalo, NY;

– Sandwich Crackers & Peanut Butter Cheese, Tenn.;

– Ice Cream, Cinn. Ohio;

– Peanut Butter Candies Bar, Abbott, Ohio;

– Erozen Bakery Cookies, Downers, Ill.;

– South Bend Chocolate Fudge, South Bend, Ind.; and

– Crackers, Kellogg, Battle Creek, Minnesota.

The peanut butter recall started last week in the CNMI after BEH received FDA voluntary recall notification by the State of Minnesota of suspected salmonella outbreak attributed to King Nut Peanut Butter brand.

As of Tuesday, the recall has widened and expended to 50 states and territories.

Tagabuel also reminded the public about the symptoms of salmonella that includes fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

In related news, Joeten Enterprises confirmed that they did receive a notice from the Department of Health listing the brands of peanut butter which were recalled and fortunately, Joeten was not affected by the peanut butter recall.”