Salmonella Contamination in Pistachios and Pistachio Products

Setton Pistachio, the nation's second-largest pistachio processor which sells nuts to Kraft Foods and 35 other wholesalers across the country, has recalled more than 2 million pounds of nuts over fears of possible salmonella contamination.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states California-based Setton Pistachio is voluntarily recalling more than 2 million pounds of its roasted nuts shipped since last fall.  California health officials say because Setton Pistachio shipped tote bags of nuts weighing up to 2,000 pounds to 36 wholesalers across the country, it will take weeks to figure out how many products could be affected.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that, because the pistachios were used as ingredients in a variety of foods, it is likely this recall will impact many products.  The  FDA is working closely with the pistachio industry and recommends that consumers avoid eating pistachio products until further information is available about the scope of affected products. This recall is not related to the recent recalls associated with peanuts or peanut butter.

The recall affects certain bulk roasted in-shell and roasted shelled pistachios shipped on or after September 1, 2008 and distributed throughout the United States. The company is voluntarily taking this precautionary measure after learning that a small amount of roasted shelled pistachios processed by Setton Pistachio and received by a commercial customer in late 2008 recently tested positive for Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain.   There have not been any reported cases of illness associated with these products in Colorado or other states. 

For more information, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website at http://www.fda.gov/pistachios.