While a salmonella outbreak connected to peanut products continues to have the nation in a frenzy, representatives from the peanut industry say caution, not panic, is the best path.

"The integrity of the peanut has never been called into question," said Don Self, who serves on the National Peanut Board.

Salmonella cannot grow or live on a raw peanut. It is only when peanuts are processed into paste or other products can infection occur.

Also, according to Self, no consumer-grade jarred peanut butter of any brand or type has been recalled. The only peanut butter on the recall list is stored in 5-pound commercial tubs.

So far, all the tainted products have been tied directly to the Peanut Corporation of America, headquartered in Lynchburg, Va. Until their plants in Georgia and Texas were investigated by the FDA in connection to the outbreak, the company created peanut products purchased by food manufacturers all over the country.

Almost 700 people have been reported to have contracted salmonella since the outbreak was first recognized in late 2008. Of those people, nine have died.

The FDA has released a large list of recall products, nearly all of which contain peanut paste created by PCA.

The message Self wants to share with the public is this issue is not the fault of the peanut industry as a whole, but one private company.

"If you buy a car from GM and you take it to a privately owned auto mechanic to get the brakes fixed and the mechanic messes up the repair and the brakes fail, is that GM's fault? Is that the whole car industry's fault? This is the same situation we're dealing with in the peanut industry," said Self.

Peanuts are becoming a major agricultural force in North Mississippi, quickly replacing cotton as king. Self, who along with his father, spent the past 40 years farming cotton in Hamilton, switched to peanuts last year. In January of 2008 the NPB recognized Mississippi as one of 11 major peanut-producing states by awarding a position on their board to Self.

Currently, there are about 50 peanut producers in Mississippi.

Also last year, Virgina-based Birdsong Peanuts -- one of the largest peanut producers in the world -- opened a buying, storage and drying station in Aberdeen.

The peanuts produced in Mississippi are called "runner" peanuts. These peanuts are used in the majority of food products containing peanuts sold in the U.S.

Overall, Birdsong shelled more than 1 billion peanuts last year.

"We don't want to downplay it into nothing," said Self. "But there are thousands and thousands of cases of salmonella in the U.S. every year. Every chicken you buy has salmonella on it until you cook it. What we're dealing with is one unethical company."

The fact remains, however, many people are afraid of eating peanut butter.

Keontay Fenton, a Columbus resident and father, said he is worried about the salmonella outbreak, and has quit buying peanut butter.

"I eat peanut butter on everything," he said. "I can't eat any toast. I've just chilled out with peanuts."

Self blames this public fear on the news media.

"Bad news sells; good news doesn't," he said. "When this story first broke, the TV news had pictures of jars of Jiff peanut butter on the store shelves, and a lot of people saw that and threw their peanut butter away. The media just doesn't tell the whole story."

Leeann Brown, manager at Claire's Boutique in Leigh Mall, said the media reports have not changed the way she eats in any way.

"It hasn't affected me in any way," she said. "I didn't throw my peanut butter away, I have no fear."

For a complete listing of the peanut-based products recalled by the FDA go to www.FDA.gov.