Salmonella: Health Ministry orders recall of Jif peanut butter products

KUALA LUMPUR: The importer of Jif peanut butter has been asked to recall the products from the market, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said a check conducted by the Health Ministry (MOH) on the Food Safety Information System of Malaysia data found that the product had been imported into this country.

Dr Noor Hisham said the MOH took note of the product recall from the US market for potential salmonella contamination through a notification from the International Food Safety Authorities Network.

"The notification stated that the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has ordered Jif peanut butter products with batch numbers 1274425 to 2140425, namely with 425 at the last three digits, to be recalled because they were contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.

"The peanut butter products had been distributed to several countries such as Canada, Thailand, Honduras, Spain, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia," he said in a statement here today.

In addition, Dr Noor Hisham said the MOH, through the Food Safety and Quality Division (BKKM), would continue to monitor all entry points into the country for the affected batch.

"Sellers must stop selling the affected batch immediately while consumers who have purchased the product should avoid consuming them," he said.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning if found in meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables and processed food.

Consumers who have any concerns or information may contact the nearest District Health Office or visit the website or the BKKM's Facebook page.

-- BERNAMA