LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic online) - Sunland announced last week that both in-shell and shelled raw and roasted peanuts within their current shelf life should not be eaten. They're telling customers to dispose of the products and request a refund.

Raw and roasted peanuts from Sunland were made available to retail customers and were distributed primarily under Sunland's own label. The nuts went out to produce houses and nationally to numerous large supermarket, grocery and retail chains in addition to online sales.

The roasted peanuts being recalled were distributed April 12, 2012 to October 12, 2012 and will have best by/expiration dates on the packaging from October 12, 2012 through April 12, 2013. The raw peanuts being recalled (shelled and in-shell), were distributed from October 12, 2011 to October 12, 2012, and will have either best by dates from October 12, 2012 through October 12, 2013 on the packaging, or a "Crop Year" marking on the package of 2011 or 2012, up to and including October 12, 2012.

A full list of peanuts and other products can be found on Sunland's Web site.

Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Salmonella usually finds its way into such foods as ground beef, pork, tomatoes, sprouts and fruit.

A total of 35 people in 19 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of salmonella tied to Sunland, Inc., including eight people who were hospitalized.

Of those affected, more than 60 percent of infected patients were 10 years old or younger, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The symptoms of salmonella may include fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances the infection can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections such as infected aneurysms, endocarditis and arthritis.

The recall tied to the salmonella outbreak first gained attention in late September after Trader Joe's recalled its Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter Sept. 22 after 29 people became infected with salmonella in 18 states following FDA testing.

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.