Select Jif peanut butter products recalled

Select Jif peanut butter products have been removed from supermarket shelves as a precaution against a potential salmonella contamination. The affected products are the 16-ounce sizes of Jif creamy and crunchy peanut butter, TT distributors Hand Arnold said in a release on Tuesday.

Hand Arnold said the JM Smucker Co announced a voluntary recall of the products sold in the US and Canada, including products distributed internationally. It said based on available data, no other items manufactured by J M Smucker have been affected.

“All affected products; Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter 16oz and Jif® Crunchy Peanut Butter 16oz, have been removed from the supermarket shelves. The product lot code range for the impacted products is 1274425 – 2140425 and is visible next to the best before date on the jar. This voluntary recall is being made with the full knowledge of the US Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” it said.

Supermarket Association president Rajiv Diptee told Newsday when the recall made international news on May 21, the association raised the issue with the distributors, which would have investigated whether batches of the affected product, identified by the lot numbers, were being sold locally.

“Out of an abundance of caution as the codes were being verified, the request was made to remove the product from the shelves, and to hold out for restocking and replacing on the shelves until further notice. At that point in time, the sales and merchandising staff had been apprised of this request, prior to the release by Hand Arnold, where they have now identified that the affected products have been removed and identified the product code ranges," he said.

“This is being done out of caution as a precaution to any salmonella cross-contamination and to ensure that the customer is receiving something that meets the required standards of health. All our member stores have taken note of this, and we also urge the wider retail population to please adhere to this.”

Diptee said once the product is returned to the distributors, it is usually disposed of through internal protocols which adhere to health requirements, and a credit note is worked out with international distributors.

Hand Arnold said it can be contacted at 674-8001 ext 228, sales@handarnold.com, and handarnold on Facebook and Instagram for more information.