"Poopy" Peanut Butter Recall

My friend, Nikki, blogged about the pea(poop)nut butter so I initially skipped the topic, so she didn't think I was copying her idea. However, with the latest developments, I can no stay silent on the subject of this recall.

Initially, when I heard about this recall, I was shocked. Why? Well, probably because peanut butter seems so innocent, ya know, childlike. Something that you'd never think could hurt your children. But I guess some idiot had to go and taint the country's peanut better with some nasty salmonella. Yuk!

So, upon hearing about the recall, I ran to the cabinet to check the 3 jars I had on hand. And sure enough, 2 of the 3 jars I had started with the banned "2111" code. And to my absolute horror,one of the jars was a super-sized one AND it was half-eaten!! Oh, heck, no! I begin thinking, oh crud, who will get sick first.....? I knew that I hadn't fed any of it to Griffin or Marinne since we'd been in Kansas, but I wasn't sure if Logan or Jensen or Ike had eaten any of it, since they are old enough to make a PB&J if they want to. So, the only thing to do was to do what any other protective momma bear would do and that would be to dispose of it immediately! Irrationally, I just want to chunk it in the garbage and be done with it.

However, the sensible side of me, the side who is frugal and wants to get what she's paid for, paid very close attention to the "rules" of the recall and exactly what was required to be compensated for the jars of peanut butter.

In the initial recall, the manufacturer had requested that the jars of PB were discarded and the lids send in to them thru the post office. So, I unscrewed the lids and delivered those jars of potential harm straight outside to the dumpster. And the sooner the better. Then, I set the lids on the cabinet to be sent in when I could find a box to unpack that may or may not contain some envelopes. (good luck with that!)

Well, with me being the procrastinator I am, I sorta forgot about the lids. I didn't unpack a box with envelopes, so I never thought about it. Meanwhile, I hear that Walmart is letting people exchange them in their store for new "safe" jars of PB. So, I decide that's what I'm gonna do. No envelopes, no stamps required.

Well, it's now been about 2 weeks and I still hadn't done care of this. And I am tired of moving the lids around my kitchen so I plan to go to Walmart after Ike gets home. So, when I mention my plan to Ike....he tells me I can't...that they have "changed" the recall rules. What? Now, he says you have to return the entire product, lids and jars of poison peanut butter to receive your exchange. Apparently, there had been so many lids sent thru back to the company that the post office was struggling to handle the influx of "PB lid mail!" So, they changed the rules mid-recall.

Now, I am livid!!! I had thrown away the tainted peanut butter the day the recall was announced and now I could do nothing?! Just because they changed the rules of how they want things done? No, that is really not going to work for me! So, I am being punished because they didn't think things thru in their original recall plan? Nope, not my problem. That's just wrong.

I head out to Wal-mart with my lids and my determination to get new, SAFE peanut butter. When I approached the service desk, I could see by the look on the girls face that there was gonna be trouble. I explained that I needed to exchange my lids, please. (always helps to be sweet....at first, anyway) And she said, but you have to have the whole jar of PB. I explained that I had thrown away the jars of poison peanut butter, just as the company had requested in the initial recall. She said, let me get the manager. Yes, please....call the manager.

The poor CSM....the look as he approached told me that if the ConAgra people were anywhere near him, he might just strangle them or possible shove a jar of PB where the sun don't shine. And with a defeated look, he looked at my determined face and said...whatever....just do it. THANK YOU Mr. CSM!

Now, do I blame Wal-mart? No, of course not. But they will get their money from the manufacturer. What was I gonna get if they didn't take my lids? A big fat nothing! And that's just not fair. I know it's just a few dollars, but that's not the point. I have to pay 2 mortgages and every dime counts.

So, I took on the "giant" and I won. Feels kinda good.

(But, did you know, they have no recalled other things, too? Yea, they haven't been so "loud" about reporting that. Apparently the believe the tainted peanut butter was used in ice creams, dessert toppings and it was shipped to Sonic's for use in their desserts.) Read it here.....the latest on the PB recall.