Planters Nuts Recall Due to Fear of Listeria Contamination
Key Takeaways
Planters Nuts recently recalled two of their products due to possible listeria contamination.
Listeria is a dangerous bacteria that can survive in cold temperatures and cause serious illness, especially for pregnant women, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
Symptoms of listeria can include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. In severe cases, it can lead to confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.
The recalled Planters products are 4-ounce Honey Roasted Peanuts and 8.75-ounce Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts with specific best-by dates and UPC/PPC codes.
Recall of Planters Nuts Due to Listeria
If you like to snack on salty foods, you might turn to peanuts or other nut variations as a healthier option to potato chips. Planters Nuts dominate the nut industry, with their friendly, personified peanut with a top hat and cane as their iconic mascot.
This nut brand has become a trusted, household name, with many people opting into buying it over the generic brands for the taste. Unfortunately, no matter the brand, the risk of contamination is present in all types of food.
Hormel Foods, a food processing company that produces Planters Nuts among other big brands, announced a recall for two nut products due to a potential listeria contamination.
What is Listeria?
While E. coli and salmonella are the more well-known bacterias that can cause foodborne illnesses, they're not the only ones to watch out for. So, this may leave you wondering: what is listeria?
Listeria is a type of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness, also known as listeriosis. It's particularly dangerous because it can survive in cold temperatures and can continue to grow even in foods that are refrigerated. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), around 1,600 people get listeriosis every year. Out of those, around 260 die.
While listeria can be dangerous to anyone exposed to it, it can be especially harmful to pregnant women and their babies, adults over 65, and the immune compromised.
Listeriosis Symptoms
Listeria is an invasive bacteria, meaning it can spread beyond the intestines. Listeriosis symptoms can vary from person to person and can be more serious for pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone immune compromised.
For pregnant women, symptoms can include:
Fever
Muscle aches
Fatigue
Flu-like symptoms
For those who are not pregnant, symptoms can include:
Fever
Muscle aches
Fatigue
Flu-like symptoms
Headache
Neck stiffness
Confusion
Loss of balance
Seizures
Planters Nuts Products Recalled
According to the Hormel recall notice, two Planters Nuts products have been effected in the recall including their 4-ounce packages of Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts and 8.75-ounce cans of Planters Delux Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts.
More specifically, those shipped to Dollar Tree distribution centers in Georgia and South Carolina and Publix distribution centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
If you have either of these in your pantry, check to see if the peanuts have a "Best if used by" date of April 11, 2025, and a package UPC code of 2900002097. And if the mixed nuts have a "Best if used by" date of April 5, 2026, and a PPC code of 2900001621.
What to Do With the Recalled Products
If you find the recalled products in your pantry, you should either throw them away immediately or return them to the store you bought them at for an exchange.
All other questions and concerns can be addressed to Hormel customer service at 1-800-523-4635, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. CT, excluding holidays. You can also email them here.