Bad peanut butter update

No jars of peanut butter on the grocery shelves have been affected, but the recall of the salmonella-tainted product made by Peanut Corp. of America continues to plague consumers. Earlier this week, Kellogg pulled some Keebler crackers from store shelves as a precaution. But the Food and Drug Administration warns that their investigation is still in its early stages and new cases of poisoning are being reported. According to Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's food safety center, "This is a very active investigation, but we don't yet have the data to provide consumers with specifics about what brands or products they should avoid."

For people with weakened immune systems, the elderly and children, this is not good news. To be extra safe, it would be wise to pass on any processed food that has peanut butter as an ingredient. Anything you make that uses peanut butter from the jar is probably OK, but if you have any doubts, you can bring an empty jar (weigh it before filling) and grind the peanuts yourself at many health food stores, including Whole Foods.