LJ-based Kashi recalls bars, cookies

La Jolla-based Kashi is voluntarily recalling some of its granola bars and cookies Tuesday amid the deadly outbreak of salmonella contamination linked to peanuts.

Kashi is recalling its TLC Chewy Granola Bars trail mix, honey almond flax and peanut butter varieties, as well as its TLC Chewy Cookies oatmeal dark chocolate, happy trail mix and oatmeal raisin flax varieties, according to a company announcement.

The products contain ingredients processed at the Peanut Corp. of America’s since Jan. 1, 2007. The Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently traced sources of Salmonella typhimurium contamination to the company’s plant in Blakely, Ga.

A total of 550 people have fallen ill nationwide since Sept. 1 as a result of the outbreak, and at least 8 may have died, according to the FDA and published reports.

“Although we cannot yet say the outbreak is over, the number of new cases have declined over the last two weeks,’’ the FDA reported on its Web site. “The outbreak appears to have reached its peak in December and is now in decline.’’

No illnesses directly related to the Kashi products have been reported, according to the company, which posted consumer information regarding the voluntary recall at