Cookies Sold For Fundraisers Among Latest Recalls

Classic Breaks Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, distributed nationwide through fundraising groups, recalled for possible Salmonella infection.

NEWS RELEASES, Jan. 20, 2009 -- Country Maid, the maker of the Classic Breaks, and Natures Path, the maker of Optimum Energy Bars, both announced voluntary recalls today of products made with peanut butter supplied by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).

Late yesterday, another cookie maker, Evening Rise Bread Co. of McCall, Idaho, recalled its Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Bars, because they too were made using peanut butter from PCA.

PCA peanut butter is suspected as being the culprit behind a rash of Salmonella poisonings across the country in the last week, killing at least six people and sickening about 460 more.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Perhaps the best known cookie selling fundraisers, the Girl Scouts of America, posted a notice on their website today saying their cookies were not made using PCA peanut butter, and were safe.

Excerpts of the three recall notices are reprinted below.

Jan. 19th -- Evening Rise Bread Co. of McCall, Idaho is recalling Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Bars, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The peanut butter cookies and the peanut butter bars were manufactured using peanut butter recalled by Peanut Corporation of America because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Bars were distributed in retail stores through Evening Rise Bread Co., McCall, Idaho; First Idaho Bank, McCall, Idaho; Roadhouse Java, New Meadows, Idaho; Mountain Java Coffee Shop, McCall, Idaho; Common Ground Coffee Shop, McCall, Idaho; and Moxy Java Coffee Shop, McCall, Idaho.

The Cookies and Bars are individually packaged in clear Cellophane bags. The label is a sticker with the Evening Rise name and NO other additional information.

Jan. 20th -- Country Maid Inc, is voluntarily recalling its 2 pound packages of Classic Breaks Peanut Butter Cookie Dough because the peanut butter used to make the cookie dough was supplied by Peanut Corporation of America and may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recalled Classic Breaks Peanut Butter Cookie Dough was distributed nationwide through fundraising groups. Distribution to fundraising dealers occurred October 6, 2008 through January 9, 2009.

The product comes in a 2 pound rectangular-shaped package with a white wrapper. Classic Breaks Peanut Butter Cookie Dough products with the following lot numbers marked on the side are included in the recall:
* 26208
* 26308
* 29808
* 33808
* 36508

Jan. 20th -- Nature's Path Organic Foods of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada is recalling Optimum Energy Bars Peanut Butter flavor, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The Optimum Energy Bars Peanut Butter flavor were manufactured using peanut butter recalled by Peanut Corporation of American because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

The affected products are marked with the BEST BEFORE DATE OF 01OCT09A and sold in 2 oz (56 g) individually wrap bar with UPC code of 0 58449 77715 1.

The complete Evening Rise recall notice can be found here.
The complete Country Maid recall notice can be found here.
The complete Nature's Path recall notice can be found here.