RPS removes peanut butter from shelves after recall

Residential Programs and Services and other campus businesses have suspended the sale of peanut butter as a precaution following a national salmonella outbreak and the national recall of more than 100 peanut butter products.

Contaminated peanut butter products have contributed to the death of six people nationwide and have sickened at least 486 people nationwide.

Items such as Keebler’s peanut butter crackers and Clif Bars have been temporarily taken off the shelves in C Stores and dining halls as a precaution, said Sandra Fowler, director of RPS Dining Services.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches returned to shelves Thursday, Fowler said. Gordon Food Service, an RPS food supplier, said the peanut butter GFS buys is safe.

The move to stop selling peanut butter is cautionary and not because any IU students have gotten sick, Fowler said. The Jif peanut butter containers in C Stores are safe, she said.

“When something like this happens, until we know the source, we pull everything,” Fowler said.

Two years ago, RPS stopped serving fresh spinach after an outbreak occurred, Fowler said.

“What we do at RPS is try to be proactive,” said RPS Executive Chef Ancil Drake.
Peanut butter products might return this week or next, when the items are determined to be safe. Fowler said this is normally how long it takes, in her experience, to track down the source of outbreaks.

Sugar and Spice in the Indiana Memorial Union also stopped selling peanut butter products.

“We wanted to take extra precautions,” said manager Suzette May, though she said the peanut butter the shop uses has not caused outbreaks.

Sugar and Spice’s best-selling cookies, like chocolate no-bake and Special K Chewy cookies, have peanut butter in them, she said.

The cookies won’t be sold again until the recall is over, May said. She said they follow the FDA guidance, and the cookies will return when the government agency says it’s safe.