Planters nuts sold in 5 states recalled due to listeria fears

USDA: 96% test kitchen participants failed to wash hands properly

Hormel Foods is recalling two Planters products — peanuts and mixed nuts — shipped to Dollar Tree and Publix warehouses in five states because they may be tainted with listeria.

Produced at one of Hormel's facilities in April, the two products involved in the recall include 4-ounce packages of Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts and 8.75-ounce cans of Planters Delux Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts, the Austin, Minnesota-based food company announced Friday in a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration.

Listeria is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in the young, frail or elderly. Healthy people may suffer symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Hormel noted. 

The recalled products were shipped to Dollar Tree distribution centers in Georgia and South Carolina, and Publix distribution warehouses in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, the company said. 

The recalled peanuts have a "Best if used by" date of April 11, 2025, and a package UPC code of 2900002097.

The recalled mixed nuts have a "Best if used by" date of April 5, 2026, and a PPC code of 2900001621 on the side of the can.

People who purchased the recalled products should discard or return it to the store where they purchased it for an exchange.

Hormel customer service can be reached through email here, via chat here or at at 1-800-523-4635, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Central Time, excluding holidays.

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.