Advisory issued for contaminated Parkers Farm products

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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is alerting consumers to avoid eating certain peanut butter, cheese, salsa, cream cheese bagel spreads, dips and spreads produced by Parkers Farm, Inc., of Coon Rapids.

The warning was issued after the state agriculture department’s product sampling determined some of the finished products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

There are no reports of illness associated with consumption of the products.

The list of recalled products includes:

•16-ounce peanut butter in square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including creamy, crunchy, honey creamy and honey crunchy varieties with sell-by dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010.

•34-ounce peanut butter in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including creamy and crunchy varieties with sell-by dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010.

•7-ounce bagel spreads in white plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including garden veggie, wild berry, strawberry, apple cinnamon, and honey walnut varieties with sell-by dates between 5/13/2010 and 6/30/2010.

•14-ounce dips and spreads in square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including jalapeno nacho, pimento and salsa con queso varieties with sell-by dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010.

•8-ounce, 12 ounce and 16 ounce cold pack cheese in round or square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including sharp cheddar, bacon, onion, smoked cheddar, swiss almond, horseradish, garlic, port wine and swiss and cheddar varieties with sell-by dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010.

•16-ounce salsa in square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including hot, mild, garlic, black bean and fire-roasted varieties, with sell-by dates between 3/14/2010 and 4/30/2010.

The products are distributed nationwide in retail stores under the Parkers Farm or Parkers labels. Products subject to the recall may have been sold at Hy-Vee, Cub, Rainbow, Lunds/Byerly’s, Target, Whole Foods, Jewel, Dominicks or Marsh stores. For more product details, call Parkers Farm, Inc. at 1-800-869-6685.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially serious disease marked by fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis, but it can sometimes cause fatal infections in infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis can also lead to miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

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