PCRM Argues Salmonella is Not From Peanut Butter

A recent outbreak in contaminated peanut butter worries consumers, but the legumes are not to blame.


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The Centers for Disease Control state that 30 people in 19 states have recently been infected with salmonella, an intestinal bacterium. As of right now, the culprit seems to be Sunland Inc.’s peanut butter supply, but on his blog, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Founder Dr. Neal Barnard reminds concerned consumers that salmonella derives from traces of animal feces, no matter how many peanut butter jars are infected. “The original source of salmonella is a farm raising chickens, cows, or other animals. And peanuts are an innocent bystander,” he says. Just like E.Coli, salmonella is spread through cross-contamination, typically by means of unsanitary food and animal handling.