41 sick from Sunland Salmonella peanut plant

The Portales, New Mexico plant of Sunland Inc., home to the naturally sweet Valencia Peanuts, and supplier to retailers like Target, Trader Joe’s and Costco, is now responsible for at least 41 illnesses.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

• 28% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported; and,

• 63% percent of ill persons are children under the age of 10 years.

CDC says the numbers of new cases have declined substantially, but because these products have a long shelf-life, the outbreak could continue at a low level for the next several months if consumers are unaware that they still have recalled products in their home and continue to consume them.

Analysis conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that environmental samples showing the presence of Salmonella bacteria in Sunland’s nut butter facility have a DNA fingerprint that is the same as the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney.