Peanut butter-salmonella link established

Tests have confirmed that King Nut peanut butter is responsible for a nationwide salmonella outbreak.

Minnesota health officials reported Monday that lab results show that the strain of salmonella found in an open jar of King Nut peanut butter, found at a Minnesota nursing facility, is an exact match to the one that has sickened at least 400 people in 47 states nationwide.

King Nut has recalled its entire line of peanut butter, as well as several other brands it distributes. The peanut butter is sold exclusively to institutional kitchen settings, like nursing homes and schools.

The peanut butter is manufactured by Peanut Corp. of America, Lynchburg, Va.

Associated Press has learned that 1,000 cases of peanut butter are affected by the recall.

The bacteria was identified as Salmonella Typhimurium, the most common of the 2,500 types of salmonella bacteria, according to a story at Forbes.com.