Salmonella prompts King Nut peanut butter recall

An Ohio distributor says it has recalled two brands of its peanut butter after an open container tested positive for salmonella bacteria.

There was no immediate indication whether the brands were linked to a national salmonella outbreak.

King Nut Companies said in a statement that it asked customers to stop distributing all peanut butter under its King Nut and Parnell’s Pride brands with a lot code that begins with the numeral “8.” The peanut butter was distributed only through food service providers and was not sold directly to consumers.

The company sells the peanut butter to distributors in Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, Idaho, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Florida.

King Nut, based in Solon, Ohio, said it canceled all orders with the manufacturer of its two peanut butter brands, Peanut Corporation of America, based in Lynchburg, Va.

Peanut Corporation said in a statement posted on its Web site that it is working with federal food and health officials to determine whether its products are connected to the national outbreak. PCA does not sell its products at grocery stores or directly to the public.