By: LISA R. WILSON

Food manufacturer Kellogg Co. has asked stores to stop selling its peanut butter sandwich crackers until the company can figure out if their peanut paste is connected to a recent outbreak of salmonella that has sickened more than 430 people in 43 states and is responsible for five deaths.

Kellogg acquires some of its paste from Peanut Corp. of America, which has recalled 21 lots of peanut butter made at its plant in Blakely, Ga., because of possible salmonella contamination. While not issuing a recall, Kellogg asked stores nationwide to remove the crackers sold under its Austin and Keebler brands until an investigation into Peanut Corp. has been completed. So far, no problems linked to these products have been reported.

“We are taking these voluntary actions out of an abundance of caution,” Kellogg CEO David Mackay said in a news release.

FDA officer Sandra Williams said Kellogg’s decision to pull their products is known as a “stop-sale order” and isn’t as serious as a recall. Williams did not comment on how many units of crackers would be pulled, but said, “It’s a very large volume.”

Kellogg spokeswoman Kris Charles said that the company is only concerned with products containing paste acquired from Peanut Corp. and not about any other products that contain peanut butter, such as cookies, because they do not use products from Peanut Corp. in their production and do not make them at the same plant.

While no additional consumer action is necessary at this time, consumers with questions or who would like a product refund can call the Kellogg Consumer Response Center at 888-314-2060. For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/kellogg01_09.html.