Smucker’s is recalling some 16-ounce jars of Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Chunky because of possible salmonella contamination. The recall affects only Smucker’s chunky style peanut butter. It does not involve Smucker’s creamy peanut butter or other Smucker’s products. No illnesses have been reported. Smucker’s says it voluntarily began the recall “as a result of a routine sampling program which revealed these finished products may contain the bacteria.”

The recalled peanut butter was sold in Washington, D.C. and in 24 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

All of the products would have been purchased from Nov. 8 through Nov. 17 of this year.

The recalled jars of peanut butter:

Carry the UPC code 5150001701
Carry production codes 1307004 and 1308004
Have “best-if-used-by” dates of Aug. 3, 2012 and Aug. 4, 2012
If you have one of these jars of peanut butter, safely dispose of it so that it will not be eaten by pets or other people. Smucker’s is offering replacement coupons to those who call 888-550-9555; proof of purchase may be necessary.

In 2009, salmonella traced to a Georgia peanut facility caused a huge, nationwide outbreak. A wide range of products, from ice cream to dog food, were made with salmonella-contaminated peanuts. The final count: 3,919 recalled products, 714 illnesses in 46 states, and at least nine deaths.

Symptoms of Salmonella
Salmonella can cause serious and possibly fatal infections.

Salmonella infections usually cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food.

Illness usually lasts four to seven days. Most people recover fully without any treatment.

But some people may need to be hospitalized for severe diarrhea. In these cases, it’s possible for salmonella bacteria to enter the blood and spread to other body sites. These infections can be deadly.

Children, particularly those under age 5 years, are most vulnerable to salmonella infection. Elderly people and people with impaired immune systems are also vulnerable to severe disease.

In the U.S., there are about 40,000 cases of salmonella each year. Web MD.