The Island County Health Department should take a more proactive approach to notify island residents of how national food recalls impact them locally.

Just last week, this newspaper heard from two residents who had purchased peanut butter that had been subject to a national recall due to a salmonella food poisoning scare. One person purchased Great Value peanut butter at the Oak Harbor Wal-Mart, and the other purchased Peter Pan peanut butter at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station commissary. Both carried the product code cited in the recall, and the Peter Pan brand apparently made one woman very sick for several days.

Unfortunately, the local notification came several weeks into the recall effort, long after the national media had lost interest. And the local purveyors of the possibly tainted peanut butter did not alert their own customers and tell them to check their peanut butter supply at home. Everyone figured the national media hype was enough.

The fact is, many of us blot out all the national hysteria over recalled food items. We don’t pay attention unless we know it’s happening locally. That’s why the Health Department should work with local businesses to make sure that any time a recalled product is on their shelves, the local population is notified.

It shouldn’t be too complicated to meet with local retailers and give them some contact numbers in the Island County Health Department. Recalled items should be reported there promptly, and then the Health Department can disseminate the information locally. Island County residents should have known several weeks ago that they may have purchased some dangerous peanut butter at either Wal-Mart or the commissary.

Meanwhile, it’s not too late to check your own jars of peanut butter. If they carry the product number 2111 on the lid take it back to the store for a refund. The warning came later in Island County, but in this case it’s better late than never.