Starbucks Corp announced on Monday that it has pulled all products containing peanut butter and peanut paste from its stores in the United States and Canada.

The coffee chain company said the move was taken as a safety precaution against the salmonella outbreak, which was believed to have claimed seven lives and sickened almost 500 people in the United States in the past several months.

Starbucks said some of the pulled products include the company's protein plate, granola bars and peanut butter cookies.

The U.S. health departments have ordered a massive recall of salmonella-tainted peanut butter products from the Peanut Corporation of America's Blakely, Georgia processing facility.

Starbucks said the recall does not affect its products as the Peanut Corporation of America is not its supplier.

Salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and others with a weakened immune system. Symptoms in healthy individuals infected with salmonella include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2009)