EFN

In nutrition as well as any life aspect, many risks always threaten the health and lifestyle of every person. Even the most popular type of food has the ability to harm the consumer with a health incident even leading to death. In recent news, salmonella outbreak hits the U.S. and spreads to 43 states. With over 500 infections and 7 total deaths recorded, the salmonella was traced back to the consumption of peanut butter.

Peanut butter is a new kind of fast food made from roasted peanuts with the addition of oil. With its worldwide popularity as a sandwich spread, it is also used in Indian chilli cooking and several other cultural cuisines. In some types of gourmets, peanut butter is mixed with chocolate or other ingredients like jelly with the occasional addition of nuts. Peanut butter is considered of many benefits like protecting from cardiovascular disease, increasing resveratrol agent in the body, providing the body with proteins, vitamins and fibers in addition to antioxidant p-coumaric acid.

However, peanut butter has recorded many health concerns especially harboring salmonella which led to the 2007 outbreak in the United States. Salmonella is a bacterium that causes the Salmonellosis disease causing typhoid fever, foodborne illness and paratyphoid fever. Other concerns were: peanut allergy that can cause many reactions like anaphylactic shock, molding of Aspergillus flavus that produces a carcinogenic substance, and rise of trans fatty acids due to the inclusion of hydrogenated vegetable oils in the peanut butter.

These health concerns have had several setbacks in the peanut butter industry and caused several health measures to be taken to reduce its consumption. After the recent salmonella outbreak hit the U.S., several companies have cut off their production or consumption. Starbucks, the coffee giant, is one of these companies where it announced, in recent news, that it will begin to pull peanut butter products as of January 20. These products include peanut butter cookie, granola bar, and chocolate peanut butter oat bar. The threat was actually traced to the Georgia plant of the Peanut Corporation of America located in Blakely which is the supplier of peanut butter products to Starbucks.

This outbreak had its impact on all peanut butter producers and not only PCA. But having Starbucks remove their products off its shelves can also have an impact on the credibility and safety of this substance to all consumers. A very careful approach should be taken in order to reinvest in the peanut butter industry and replant its credibility in the hearts of Americans especially those who are regular Starbucks customers.