Federal health officials said the list of suspect food keeps increasing in the recent salmonella outbreak that was linked to peanut butter, with more than 125 products already having been recalled. The items recalled are varied and range from cookies and ice cream to energy bars and dog treats.

Lab tests have confirmed that the new cases of salmonella are the same as in the outbreak strain that was caused by peanut butter and affected 43 states in the country. As the numbers affected by salmonella increase so do the items voluntarily recalled over salmonella fears.

The latest to join the recalled items are a leading pet supply retailer and a weight loss company who have recalled some of their products as a precautionary measure. Petsmart, as a precaution, has recalled seven kinds of its dog biscuit Grreat Choice that contain peanut paste while NutriSystem, the weight loss company has recalled its peanut butter granola bars. Certain Asian foods that contain peanut sauces are also recalling their products.

This current salmonella outbreak is believed to have killed six people and sickened close to 500 others across the country and the source of the contamination was narrowed down to peanut paste or peanut butter made at a Peanut Corp. of America plant in Blakely, Ga., which makes peanut butter and peanut butter paste and sells it to food companies and institutions like nursing homes and schools. Dr. Stephen Sundlof of the FDA says "strong evidence that points to that the Blakley, Georgia plant."

Initially the problem seemed limited to peanut butter for institutional packs but subsequently peanut paste which is made from ground roasted peanuts, and used as an ingredient in dozens of other products sold directly to consumers, joined it.

The Food and Drug Administration has set up on its website a searchable database of recalled peanut products. "We expect [the] number to continue to increase," said Stephen Sundlof, head of the FDA's food safety program.

Consumers are advised by the Health Department to avoid cookies, crackers, and other foods containing peanut butter but there's no indication that jars of peanut butter sold in stores have been affected.

Peanut butter is not normally a high risk product for salmonella as the roasting process is said to kill any bacteria. Investigators are still trying to figure out how and why the contamination occurred.

Despite the known facts this is the second time that peanut butter has been implicated in a salmonella outbreak.  Dietitian Tara Harwood says "if you have any products in your house that contain peanut butter I would hold off on eating."