Green Daily

Peanut butter grossing you out a bit lately, with all of the news about it and salmonella? A nationwide salmonella contamination, thought to be stemming from one plant, has sickened 485 people so far, and killed six people.

The FDA and the CDC has traced the source of the salmonella contamination to a Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant, which produces peanut butter, sold to institutions, and peanut paste, which ends up in a whole host of commercial foods like cakes, cookies, ice cream and cereal, just to name a few.

If you eat as straight peanut butter, you'll be happy to know that major national brands of jarred peanut butter are not affected, as PCA does not sell products directly to consumers.

You can go to the FDA website and search for products and brands affected by the PCA recall. If you don't know, play it extra safe, and don't eat anything that could contain the peanut paste, such as commercially-baked cookies, crackers, cereal, candy or ice cream, according to the FDA. Salmonella can cause an infection that produces diarrhea, fever and cramps and usually lasts four to seven days. While most people recover without treatment, I say, a trip to the doctor could be in order if you think you might be affected.

Have you changed your peanut-butter-eating ways due to this outbreak?