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Salmonella found at company, voluntary recall issued
By Heather M. Smith, Staff writer
A California-based company has issued a voluntary recall of products containing pistachios after a suspected salmonella contamination was found.
The California department of public health, in conjunction with the FDA, is investigating Salmonella contamination in pistachio products sold by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. The company has stopped all distribution of processed pistachios. Its voluntary recall will involve approximately one million pounds of its products.
Setton expanded its recall of roasted pistachios to include all lots of roasted in-shell pistachios and roasted shelled pistachios that were produced from nuts harvested in 2008. The firm is also recalling those raw shelled pistachios from the 2008 crop that are not subsequently roasted prior to retail sale.
Whole Foods Market, which has stores in Plano, announced a voluntary recall because of the findings in Setton. The recall is for its 365 Everyday Value brand in-shell dry roasted and salted pistachios due to potential salmonella contamination. Although Whole Foods Market has received no reports of illness related to this product, the company issued the recall as a precaution. The Whole Foods Market recall is voluntary and not related to the recent peanut/ peanut butter recalls.
“This is a situation that the recall is being triggered because of sampling undertaken by part of the food industry,” said David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at FDA. “And what we are doing here is getting out ahead of the curve and it’s a proactive approach from the Food and Drug Administration and California Department of Health.”
According to Susan Cruzan, media relations for the FDA, only one specific case of illness has been found.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.
In order to stay ahead of this latest finding, the FDA has partnered with the CDC.
“We are working closely with the Centers for Disease Control to determine whether there’s any evidence of the isolates that were originally found by Kraft and some others whether they are linked to illness,” Acheson said. “We don’t have that information yet, but we’re actively engaged with the Centers for Disease Control to make that determination.”
For information and a complete product recall list visit: www.fda.gov/pistachios.
Contact Heather Smith at HSmith@acnpapers.com.
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