Close to four dozen production lots from a unit of the Hain Celestial Group Inc. were recalled Tuesday due to possible salmonella contamination.

The recall came in the heels of reports that four illnesses could possibly be related to the company's nut butters.

A total of 45 production lots were recalled by Hain Celestial. Among those recalled were peanut butters under the brand name Arrowhead Mills as well as almond butters and peanut butters from the company's MaraNatha product line. Several lots of private label almond butter were also taken off the shelves of several grocers including Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Kroger and Safeway.

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The recalled products had been available not only in the United States, but also in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

Hain Celestial, which is based in New York, said it found out about the possible contamination following a routine testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The information on the total number of recalled jars has yet to be made public.

It wasn't the first time that a product was taken off the shelves due to possible salmonella contamination. In 2008 and 2009, more than 700 people in the United States suffered from salmonella after digesting infected peanuts.

No one is safe from being exposed to salmonella, but health experts said the risk of infection is especially higher among people with weakened immune systems, especially children and the elderly.

Those who are infected with salmonella typically exhibit symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The symptoms may appear from the first day of exposure to salmonella to up to three days, and last for a week at the most.

TagsNews, Health news, Salmonella, product recall, Hain Celestial Group, peanut butter