Sunland peanut butter may return to shelves next month

Sunland, Inc., the New Mexico-based peanut butter producer involved in a multistate Salmonella outbr…

Sunland, Inc., the New Mexico-based peanut butter producer involved in a multistate Salmonella outbreak and massive product recall in 2012, has resumed operations after a half-year suspension, and aims to have peanut butter back on store shelves next month, company executives told the Associated Press Thursday.

The nation’s largest organic nut butter maker was the first food manufacturer to be shut down by new U.S. Food and Drug Administration powers in November 2012, after its products were shown to have sickened at least 42 people in 20 states with Salmonella Bredeney. Those powers were granted under the Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law in January 2011.

The Salmonella contamination also prompted the recall of hundreds of products, including Trader Joe’s peanut butter, Justin’s Organic peanut butter, and Newman’s Own peanut butter cookies.

The company finally received permission to restart operations at its Portales, NM facility last week. It may resume full-scale production by next week.