BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

Here we go again. In an apparent effort to avoid accusations of doing too little to protect American consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is potentially crippling an entire industry.

Just as it did with spinach in late 2006 and with tomatoes in 2008, the FDA is urging consumers to avoid all peanut butter products - even though the agency admits it hasn' t identified the exact source of a salmonella outbreak that may have contributed to six deaths and which may be linked to illness in more than 470 people.

So far, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has traced the same strain of salmonella found in 43 states only to a Peanut Corporation of America manufacturing plant in Georgia. That product was used as an ingredient solely in peanut butter crackers, cookies and other products sold in bulk to institutions. None was sold in retail stores.

But in an abundance of caution, FDA Food Safety Director Stephen Sundlof has declared that consumers should "avoid" all peanut butter products as a precaution. Sundlof said the agency cannot yet give out a list of potentially affected products that might have been sold in retail stores.

Only the accused provider and its customers like Kellogg seem to be acting quickly and responsibly, by pulling the product from store shelves without hyperbole or fear. "We deeply regret that this product recall is expanding," said Stewart Parnell, president of Peanut Corporation of America. "Our company has worked around the clock for the last week with federal regulators to help identify any potential problems."

In previous FDA warnings, such as with the spinach recall, the public reacted to the rampant publicity fanned by the FDA by swearing off the vegetable entirely - not just the tainted crop from one area in California. You couldn' t even get a side dish of creamed spinach in a restaurant or a bag of frozen spinach (both completely safe due to processing and cooking) for more than four months.

While some shoppers may believe it' s admirable the FDA is trying to protect consumers, condemning an entire industry this way is unfair and probably irresponsible. Naturally, the makers of Jif and Skippy brands are concerned about the way FDA is handling the issue. All brands, even those not linked to the outbreak, are now tainted. See anyone checking out peanut butter at the grocery store lately?

FDA' s action with peanut butter contrasts with the far more appropriate way it handled the pet food recalls of 2007, when the agency reassured pet owners that 98 percent of pet food on shelves was safe and specifically identified the problem brands. In this case, the FDA has said in effect - without evidence - that all peanut butter products are potentially unsafe.

While FDA' s first job is to protect consumers, it is also responsible for managing consumer fear rather than igniting it.