JEM Raw Recalls All Nut Butters After 11 Salmonella Illnesses Reported

JEM Raw Chocolate LLC (JEM Raw) of Bend, OR, has announced a voluntary recall of its full line of nut butter spreads due to the potential for contamination with Salmonella. There have been 11 illnesses reported in connection with the nut butter products, but no deaths or hospitalizations to date.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), and the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) have linked the illnesses to person(s) who have consumed nut spreads, including JEM Raw products.

Because of this investigation, JEM Raw has recalled all products and sizes packaged in glass jars and sold under the brand name JEM Raw Organics.

The following products are recalled:

Product Name	Net Weight (oz.)	UPC
Cashew Cardamom – Sprouted Cashew Almond Spread	1	6 09728 97861 7
Cinnamon Red Maca – Sprouted Almond Spread	1	6 09728 97862 4
Hazelnut Raw Cacao – Sprouted Hazelnut Spread	1	6 09728 97865 5
Superberry Maqui Camu – Sprouted Almond Spread	1	6 09728 97864 8
Cashew Cardamom – Sprouted Cashew Almond Spread	6	6 09728 97860 0
Cinnamon Red Maca – Sprouted Almond Spread	6	6 09728 97848 8
Hazelnut Raw Cacao -Sprouted Hazelnut Spread	6	6 09728 97857 0
Superberry Maqui Camu – Sprouted Almond Spread	6	6 09728 97858 7
Cashew Cardamom – Sprouted Cashew Almond Spread	16	6 09728 97854 9
Cinnamon Red Maca – Sprouted Almond Spread	16	6 09728 97850 1
Hazelnut Raw Cacao – Sprouted Hazelnut Spread	16	6 09728 97851 8
Superberry Maqui Camu – Sprouted Almond Spread	16	6 09728 97852 5

The JEM Raw recalled products were distributed nationwide in retail stores and through mail order. Products were distributed between June 2015 and November 2015.

JEM Raw is working with distributors and retailers to remove these products from retail shelves. Consumers do not need to return the product to the store where it was purchased. Instead, consumers should discard any product and its container. JEM Raw will work directly with each consumer to manage replacement of its product.

Additional details can be found at www.jemraw.com. Those with questions may contact the company at (541) 728-3844 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.

Jen Moore, comapany co-founder and CEO, said, “As a health food company, our customer’s health is our number one priority. Although no JEM Raw products have tested positive for Salmonella, we feel strongly that issuing a voluntary recall is the right thing to do. JEM is working closely with the FDA, ODA, and OHA to determine the root cause of the outbreak.”

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 (e.g., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

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