Famous Amos recalls cookies

Famous Amos recalls cookies
By Cheryl Ong

THE local branch of a well-known American cookie company has voluntarily recalled peanut butter cookies suspected of bacterial contamination.

Since Jan 19, The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies (Singapore) Pte Ltd has stopped selling its range of peanut butter Premium Choice cookies and will destroy raw cookie batter imported from the United States.

The recall follows reports in the US of salmonella-tainted peanut butter products that have caused nearly 500 people there to fall ill.

'So far, no contamination has been detected,' said a spokesman for the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority on the situation here. 'The recall is a completely voluntary measure made by the company.'

An employee of the cookie company here said all possibly affected cookies were recalled once news of the salmonella poisoning broke on Jan 19, even though none of the batches tested contained the bacteria.

Salmonella bacteria is spread through food contaminated by faecal matter.

It usually causes diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, nausea and abdominal pain. People with weak immune systems, such as children, the elderly and those already ill, may develop fatal complications.

The US Food and Drug Administration traced the contamination back to a farm in Georgia that has been supplying peanut butter and related food products to companies around the country.

On Thursday, Malaysia's Health Ministry announced that it will be investigating the cookie chain for possible contaminated dough.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_330205.html