Jif Peanut Butter Recalled After Salmonella Outbreak: Here’s How to Check If You Should Toss Yours

If you have Jif peanut butter in your cabinet at the moment, it might not be safe to use for your next PB&J sandwich (or anything else). As NPR reports, The J.M. Smucker Co. recently issued a recall of many peanut butter products linked to a Salmonella outbreak.

As of Sunday, May 22, the FDA had identified 14 cases (two of which required hospitalization) across these 12 states:

• Arkansas
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Missouri
• Ohio
• North Carolina
• New York
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington

But since Jif is distributed nationwide, not seeing your state on the list doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. There are nearly 50 recalled peanut butter products, including but not limited to: creamy, crunchy, natural, to-go, no added sugar, reduced fat, squeezable pouches, and peanut butter mixed with honey. Sizes range from .64 ounces to 4 pounds; and there’s also one honey-only product—Jif 40-ounce natural honey. 

In short, it doesn’t matter what your Jif variety of choice is. You should check the lot code to see if its first seven digits fall within the recalled range: 1274425 through 2140425. If the number falls within that range but the first seven digits don’t end in 425, it’s fine to consume. If they do end in 425, though, toss out the peanut butter and thoroughly clean anything it may have touched. The lot code is located underneath the “Best if used by” date.

Salmonella can cause anything from fever and nausea to bloody diarrhea and vomiting. If you consumed potentially contaminated peanut butter and are experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection—which you can read more about here—get in touch with your healthcare provider for further guidance.