Tainted Peanut Products Pose Special Concerns for Cancer Patients

To assist the FDA with its efforts to inform the public about the recall of peanut products produced by Peanut Corporation of America, NCI has posted a special fact sheet on the Cancer.gov Web site, outlining the particular risks of salmonella-contaminated foods for cancer patients who may have impaired immune systems due to chemotherapy or blood cell transplantation.

This fact sheet also provides suggestions for alternative foods that can provide the higher calories and protein that cancer patients often need during treatment and recovery—various cheeses, beans, yogurt, hummus, and pudding, for example. The fact sheet notes that almond butter and other spreads that are made from nuts are often made with the same equipment that processes peanut butter and, therefore, should be avoided if the source of the product is unclear.

A complete list of products included in the peanut recall is posted on the FDA’s Web site, which includes a search function by which people can enter products according to brand name, UPC code, description, or any combination thereof.