WASHINGTON – On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its warning about possible peanut butter contamination by advising consumers not to eat any Peter Pan peanut butter purchased since May 2006 and not to eat Great Value peanut butter with a product code beginning with "2111" purchased since May 2006.

Both peanut butters have a risk of contamination with Salmonella Tennessee; Salmonella is a bacterium that causes foodborne illness, and “Tennessee” is a type of Salmonella.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 290 people from 39 states who have gotten sick from Salmonella Tennessee, with 46 patients known to have been hospitalized. There have been no reported deaths.

Although Great Value peanut butter with the specified product code has not been linked by CDC to the cases of Salmonella Tennessee infection, the product is manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter and, thus, is believed to be at similar risk of contamination. Great Value peanut butter made by manufacturers other than ConAgra is not affected.

FDA continues to advise consumers not to eat any Peter Pan peanut butter or any Great Value peanut butter as mentioned above and to toss all such products.

FDA continues to work with ConAgra and to inspect records to determine the distribution of the recalled product both within the United States and overseas. ConAgra is recalling all Peter Pan peanut butter and all Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 that already was distributed. The company also is destroying all affected products in its possession. The company has stopped production and is working to identify the cause of the contamination.