Peanut Butter Recall Now Affecting Man’s Best Friend

Keep an eye on your pooch, because the list of salmonella-infected nut butters now includes a popular dog treat.

The voluntary recall of salmonella-tainted peanut and almond butter now extends beyond Trader Joe’s stores to include more than 70 products sold nationwide, including a popular doggie peanut butter treat called Dogsbutter. And while three local pet stores say they sold the product, no incidents of infection have been reported so far.

Candace Canty, owner of Lake View’s Dog-a-holics on Southport, says she sent back about 20 jars of Dogsbutter, but none of them tested positive for the deadly bacteria.

“We haven’t had anyone tell us they had an incident with the Dogsbutter,” Canty said. “The company voluntarily recalled it, and all their peanut butter that they recalled actually tested negative for salmonella.”

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Dog for Dog, the company behind Dogsbutter, released a statement to store owners like Canty explaining the voluntary recall. The statement said Dog for Dog works with Sunland Industries, the manufacturer responsible for the salmonella outbreak, so they’re recalling products with manufacturing dates between May 1 and Sept. 24.

“This limited recall is voluntary, and no dogs have been reported affected, nor have any Dogsbutter samples tested positive for salmonella,” wrote Rocky Keever, CEO of Dog for Dog, LLC. “While no Dogsbutter products have tested positive for salmonella, our number one focus is ensuring the health, safety and well-being of dogs… If you have purchased one of these products, please dispose of it, or return it to your local retail pet center for a full refund.”

Both Lake View’s Wigglyville on North Broadway and North Center’s The Barking Lot on Irving Park Road also sold jars of Dogsbutter, but store employees also said they haven’t received any complaints from customers.

“I didn’t hear anything yet,” said Eric Schmidt, assistant manager at The Barking Lot. “Usually if something like that does happen where a customer says their dog got sick, we always report it to our distributor so they know something happened. But so far, nobody’s come forward.”

Other stores that carry products named in the recall include Target, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, GNC and Meijer.

Thirty people across 19 states have reported salmonella food poisoning that was later linked to the contaminated nut butters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of those cases was in Illinois. About two-thirds of the illness were reported in children younger than 10.

Salmonella symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can cause particularly nasty infections in the very young or old and people with weakened immune systems.

If you purchased a product that appears on the recall list, either throw it out or return it to the store for a full refund.

Read the full list of recalled products.