BOSTON, Mass. — Though 93% of Americans have heard or read about the recall of peanut products, one in four of those who are aware mistakenly believe that major national brands of peanut butter are involved, according to a Harvard Opinion Research Program study.
Likewise, more than half of that 93% is confused about the categories of product affected by the recall. Only 49% of those who are aware know that snack bars are included; other categories include cakes, brownies and cookies (45%), pet treats (43%), candy (39%) prepackaged meals (36%), ice cream (27%) and cans of dry roasted peanuts (23%).
Meanwhile, more than six in 10 (61%) aware respondents have taken one or more precautions to reduce their risk of getting sick from contaminated peanut products. Specifically, 27% have checked ingredient lists on foods in the grocery store to make sure they know which products contain peanuts, 25% have thrown away foods in their home that they think might be on the recall list, 22% stopped ordering foods containing peanuts in restaurants, 28% stopped eating foods involved in the recall and 15% stopped eating all foods containing peanuts.
The survey was conducted Feb. 4-8.
"There's a striking level of awareness of this recall, and many people have taken action. But they're not aware of the range of products involved in the recall," said Robert Blendon, professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health, in a statement. "People should check the Food and Drug Administration recall list routinely, since the number of products is still growing."
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