LTACHs Should be on the Lookout for Recalled Peanut Products

Posted by Jason Greis on March 31, 2009 under Articles | Be the First to Comment |  Print

LTACHs often subcontract their dietary services departments to national providers, host hospitals (for HwHs), or a host hospital’s contracted dietary service provider.  CMS recently urged nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to determine whether they are currently in possession of peanut butter and peanut butter products recalled by the FDA as a result of possible Salmonella contamination.  LTACHs should speak with their dietary department or dietary service provider to determine what steps are being taken to ensure that patients are not served potentially contaminated products.

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In a memorandum from the Survey and Certification Group, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has urged nursing home and other long-term care facility administrators, owners, and food managers to check their institutional supply of peanut butter and other products containing peanut ingredients for food items that may be affected by recent voluntary recalls due to possible Salmonella contamination.

The memorandum, Reference: S&C-09-29, was issued in response to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requests for assistance in warning nursing homes and long-term care facilities regarding the potential danger to their residents of eating recalled food products. According to the memorandum, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have received reports of deaths of nursing home residents with underlying health conditions who had consumed recalled food products containing peanuts contaminated with Salmonella.

The FDA provides the following helpful examples of products that might contain peanut ingredients:

• Cookies
• Crackers
• Cereal
• Candy
• Ice Cream
• (Major national brands of jarred peanut butter found in grocery stores have not been among the products recalled)

Personnel at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are encouraged to check the FDA searchable databaseof recalled products to determine if food supplies could contain contaminated items and to identify additional recalls as they become available. For those without Internet access, the same information can be obtained by calling the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD during regular business hours.  Please contact one of the authors below if you have questions about CMS’s memorandum.

J. Brian Jackson
434.980.2221
bjackson@mcguirewoods.com
 

R. Brent Rawlings
804.775.1126
rbrawlings@mcguirewoods.com