Bonus Cards Sweeten the Deal

EASTON, Pa. (AP) -- The membership cards that help grocery stores track customers' buying habits and give customers some savings can also make recalls more effective.

Store officials say chains such as Giant and Wegmans are using information from the cards to alert customers who have purchased products affected by recent peanut product recalls.

The peanuts implicated in a salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 550 people, eight of whom have died. Authorities say Peanut Corp. of America in Georgia shipped peanut butter and other products that had tested positive for salmonella. The company denies wrongdoing, but the list of recalled products has now topped 1,000.

Spokesman Tracy Pawelski says Maryland-based Giant has used bonus card information to contact about 30,000 customers of the multistate chain.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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