Salmonella scare: more than 200 peanut butter products pulled off shelves

You may want to put that peanut butter and jelly sandwich down — more than 200 peanut butter products have been pulled off the shelves nationwide because they could contain salmonella bacteria.

This week health officials confirmed they found salmonella bacteria in samples taken from a New Mexico manufacturing plant owned by Sunland Inc. that makes the products.

The plant provides products and ingredients to major chains all across the country, including Target and Costco.

Locally owned Toucan Market in Las Cruces has had empty shelves for weeks.

Toucan Market owner Bob Baur told ABC-7 Sunland was their top-selling peanut butter brand.

“I would like to get their productsback in a reasonable amount of time just because it’s a New Mexicoproduct and it has always been a good product. We’ve sold it for about five years now, and it quickly became our No. 1-selling product,” Baur said.

Baur thinks Sunland Inc. handled this situation well by voluntarily recalling more than 100 of its products in late September when the risk was first discovered.

They’ve expanded the recall to include products made since March 2010.

The peanut butter has been linked to 35 salmonella cases across the country, mostly in young children.

Las Crucen Evelyn Goforth went back to Toucan Market on Friday to return her unopened jar of Sunland’s peanut butter.

She said she found out about the recall by watching ABC-7.

Goforth said it’s disappointing to have to return the product she loves so much.

“It’s my favorite brand ofpeanut butter, and I was really surprised to find out about the recalland then how far back it goes. The store was really nice about. I had no problemreturning it, but I don’t know when they’ll make this peanut butteragain,” Goforth told ABC-7.

Goforth said she’s taking a break from peanut butter until Sunland products are back on the shelves.

For a full list of all the recalled products, click here.

There have not been any reported cases of salmonella in New Mexico, but there were five in Texas.

If you have any of these products, throw them out immediately or return them to the store.