Pet treats linked to recalled peanut butter

Lynchburg, Va.

-- PetSmart voluntarily pulled some pet treats off its shelves after a peanut-containing paste was linked to a recent

Salmonella typhimurium

outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Jan. 19 that they had traced the recent Salmonella outbreak to a Blakely, Ga., peanut-processing plant owned by the Peanut Corp. of America (PCA). Retail peanut butter is not suspected in the outbreak, and PCA only distributes its products to manufacturers of foods containing peanut butter, according to the FDA.

That means that many companies that use PCA products have merchandise affected by the outbreak, including all varieties of Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits.

So far, 485 people became ill and six are believed to have died after eating the tainted peanut butter products. No animal illnesses have been reported, but PetSmart says it is voluntarily pulling the product because of the potential risks. PetSmart officials are in contact with all the company's vendors to see if any other pet products use the affected peanut paste.

PCA products affected by its voluntary recall were made only at the Georgia facility after July 2008. The Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits affected by the voluntary recall were made after Aug. 21, 2008.