The Oxford Community Choice Pantry is remaining cautious stocking its shelves after salmonella outbreaks surfaced throughout Ohio.
Shared Harvest, a food bank that provides food pantries, such as the Choice Pantry, with surplus grocery products, has halted its shipment of peanut butter products since the salmonella scare started, according to Mike Johnson, manager of the Choice Pantry.
The food bank distributes products throughout Butler County, Darke County, Preble County, Miami County and Warren County.
Johnson said he receives a report with recall information and checks his products regularly to ensure he is serving safe products.
"Our understanding is that peanut butter jars are okay, while snack products are being more heavily affected," Johnson said. "Just last week we tossed an entire order of peanuts."
As of Feb. 11, 92 cases of illness and two fatalities have been reported in Ohio in relation to the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhirium, a bacterial infection recently found in peanut butter product manufacturing plants across the country, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ohio remains the state with the most outbreaks, out of the reported 600 cases nationwide. Cuyahoga County, near Cleveland, reported the largest number of cases in Ohio with 18 infected citizens.
The Oxford Community Choice Pantry has not been negatively affected by the outbreak, according to Johnson. Snack items, such as peanut butter bars and cookies, are a smaller focus of the food pantry, he said.
"We emphasize grains, cereals, proteins, fruits and vegetable food products for a healthy diet," Johnson said.
With more products being pulled from shelves at markets every day, Christopher Weiss, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health, said consumers should beware of all peanut products in general.
"All peanut products have the same potential danger," Weiss said. "The message for Ohioans is if they have any doubt or concern, to throw it out immediately."
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Weiss said the salmonella infections are not limited to widespread outbreaks and the best defense consumers can take is to be aware.
"More than 1,300 cases of (salmonella) are reported every year, even when an outbreak is not occurring," Weiss said. "We need to remind our community that they can take measures to prevent their loved ones from being infected."
Despite the removal of recalled items from shelves, families hit hard by the recession are still turning to places, such as the Oxford Community Choice Pantry, for discounted food items.
"We have seen a rise in the number of customers coming in and they remain observant about finding the best deals and checking the expiration dates of products," Johnson said.
While the food pantry's shelves remain plentiful even without the recalled items, Johnson said donations are still appreciated. Volunteers work at the Oxford Community Choice Pantry three times a week helping to restock shelves and provide customers with maximum service.
For more information including a list of recalled products and daily updates on the status of salmonella outbreaks in Ohio, Weiss said he encourages all who are interested to visit www.odh.ohio.gov.
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