Serving the High Plains

Sunland issues recall

Sunland, Inc. has issued a recall for more than six dozen types of peanut butter and almond butter over concerns of linkage to a salmonella outbreak at Trader Joe's groceries.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked 29 salmonella instances in 18 states to Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter — manufactured by the Sunland plant in Portales.

The voluntary recall is on many of Sunland's almond butter and peanut butter products produced since May 1. Only the Trader Joe's creamy salted variety was linked to any illness, but others were recalled because they were manufactured using the same equipment.

Katalin Coburn, vice president for media relations at Sunland, said the recall was, "stemming from an abundance of precaution."

A full listing of products recalled, listed by variety and UPC code, is available on the front page of the company's website at http://www.sunlandinc.com. The listing includes three products for Trader Joe's and numerous products for other companies —including Sunland, Archer Farms, Earth Balance, Sprouts, Naturally More, Serious Food Silly Prices, Open Nature, Heinen's and Fresh & Easy. The products have "best if used by" dates between May 1 and Sept. 24, 2013.

"There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter every day," Sunland President and CEO Jimmie Shearer said in a statement from the company. "If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it."

For information on the recall, a 24-hour hotline is available at 866-837-1018, and a local representative is available at the Sunland plant 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays at 356-6638.

To see brands in the recall, visit:

http://www.sunlandinc.com/788/html/pdfs/sunlandrecall.pdf