South Bend Chocolate Company Extends Nationwide Recall of Candy Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination

The South Bend Chocolate Company today announced they have extended their voluntary recall of candy to additional products because they contain peanut butter from Peanut Corporation of America, which may be contaminated with Salmonella.

These products were sold via internet sales, mail order and may have been sold nationwide through our distributors to retail stores.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

Candy impacted by the recall is all sold under The South Bend Chocolate Company brand name and was produced on or after July 1, 2008. The candies under recall include:

Assorted chocolates in 5 ounce (Products with labels reading 121 and 121R,UPC #4482300121 are under recall), 8 ounce (Products with labels reading 122, 122DK and 122R, UPC #4482300122 are under recall), 12 ounce (Products with labels reading 123 and 123DK, UPC #4482300123 are under recall) and 26 ounce (Product 124, UPC #4482300124 is under recall) boxes. [Note: the sugar free assorted chocolates are not affected, and are not part of the recall].

Hoosiers in 1.5 ounce (Product 010, UPC# 4482300011) and 3.0 ounce (Product 011, UPC# 4482300010. [Note: These are corrected sizes].

Valentine Heart, 14 ounces (Products with labels reading 1020 and 1020R, UPC #4482310201 are under recall).

Additionally Christmas gift boxes (CC, CCLG, CCXL and CCXXL) and any other gift baskets may have included the assorted chocolate boxes.

The following products are also under recall and are sold to retail stores in bulk for sales of smaller quantities to their customers:

4.5lb Peanut Butter Fudge, Product 228, UPC #4482300228

4 lb. Hoosiers, Product 410, UPC #4482300410

5 lb. Peanut Butter Meltaway, Milk Chocolate, Product 204, UPC #4482300204

5 lb. Peanut Butter Meltaways-Dark Chocolate, Product 204D, UPC #4482302044

4.5lb Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Product 229, UPC #4482300229

Replacement products that are not under recall can be distinguished from recalled product by the presence of a round gold sticker, which we are placing on the bottom of the boxes and/or baskets of replacement products that are not under recall.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are urged to return it to the store of purchase, or to destroy the product. Consumers with questions may contact The South Bend Chocolate Company at 574-233-2577 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. Consumers with questions or concerns about their health should contact their health care professional. Consumers with symptoms are urged to visit their health professional or to go to a hospital emergency room.

The South Bend Chocolate Company, based in South Bend, Indiana, said it hasn’t found any problems or received any complaints about these products. Mark Tarner, President of The South Bend Chocolate Company, said: “we are taking these steps out of concern for our customers”.

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