The Food and Drug Administration has found Salmonella in recalled Austin brand sandwich crackers, a brand under the Kellogg umbrella.

“FDA has advised Kellogg Company that Salmonella was found in one package of Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter,” the FDA said in a statement Monday. “This product had previously been recalled by Kellogg, in one of a series of industry recalls relating to Peanut Corporation of America’s recall of peanut-based ingredients.”

“We apologize to our consumers and customers, and we can’t emphasize enough our disappointment and deep regret about this situation,” said David Mackay, president and CEO, Kellogg Company. “The food industry upholds certain operating standards and we are proud that we exceed these standards in our facilities. Events of the last week suggest there was a breach in this supplier’s process that is unacceptable to Kellogg, our customers and our consumers.”

The FDA has urged customers Jan. 14 to dispose of recalled peanut butter and peanut paste products.

Kellogg has promised an internal investigation.

“Based on our learnings from this experience and consistent with our 100-year commitment to quality and food safety, Kellogg will evaluate its processes to ensure we take necessary actions to reassure consumers and rebuild confidence in these products,” Mackay said.

According to the FDA, products impacted by the Kellogg recall were produced on or after July 1, 2008, including:

• Austin Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches – all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers
• Austin Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
• Austin Quality Foods Cookie/Cracker Pack
• Austin Quality Foods Variety Pack
• Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Keebler Toast & PB’n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Keebler Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
• Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce)
• Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce)

In the face of a nationwide recall of peanut butter products, Tasty Baking Company and Mars Snackfood each followed suit with Hershey in asserting their foods are safe and not affected by the Salmonella outbreak.

“All Tastykake products, including the iconic Peanut Butter Kandy Kake, are safe for consumption and not included in the national recall program,” Tasty Baking said Sunday night in a statement. “Tasty Baking Company does not have a supplier relationship with Peanut Corporation of America.”

“Mars Snackfood US remains confident in the safety and quality of our products that contain peanut butter, all of which are safe to enjoy,” Mars echoed Sunday night. “Mars does not receive or process any peanuts or peanut butter from Peanut Corporation of America or King Nut, the companies that, according to FDA’s most recent update on its investigation, appear to be the source of contaminated product. In addition, we have not been asked by the FDA to recall any products in relation to the current investigation into salmonella.”

Mars makes its own peanut butter for most of its products.

The following Mars Snackfood US products contain peanut butter and are safe, according to the company:

• M&M’S Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies
• Snickers Bars
• Snickers Brand Ice Cream
• Twix Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
• Kudos Peanut Butter Granola Bars
• Ethel M Chocolates and ethel’s chocolate lounge

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration announced it traced a likely source of a nationwide Salmonella outbreak to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America, which produces peanut butter.

The plant also produces a peanut paste used in many products, including cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream. The FDA has urged the public to avoid peanut-including products.

Additionally, FDA has determined that some of the peanut butter is used in products consumed at large institutions, such as nursing homes and hospitals.

Responding, the Peanut Corporation of America shut down the Blakely, Ga. plant and recalled 21 lots of peanut butter produced on or after July 1, 2008.

“We deeply regret that this product recall is expanding and our first priority is to protect the health of our customers,” said Stewart Parnell, the company’s president, in a statement Friday. “Our company has worked around the clock for the last week with federal regulators to help identify any potential problems.”

Peanut Corporation of America also owns plants in Suffolk, Va. and Plainview, Tex.

In 2007, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, made by a different company, was pulled off store shelves worldwide after a similar bacteria outbreak.

This month’s contamination has been linked to 470 illnesses in 43 states so far and may also be responsible for six deaths.