Pistachios & salmonella: Food recall

March 31, 1:51 PMProvidence Food ExaminerDonna Diegel

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Pistachio Recall

Right on the heels of one of the biggest salmonella related food recalls - the peanut butter recall - there's another one. Pistachios are the culprit this time. Peanuts and now pistachios, and just when I was thinking of sharing my Pistachio Cake Recipe.

According to the NY Times, "The company, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, based in Terra Bella, Calif., decided to recall its 2008 crop after one of its customers, Kraft Foods, found several types of salmonella during routine analysis of the product. Kraft Foods alerted the Food and Drug Administration of its findings on March 24."

The FDA says, "The company has stopped all distribution of processed pistachios and will issue a voluntary recall involving approximately 1 million
pounds of its products. Because the pistachios were used as ingredients in a variety of foods, it is likely this recall will impact many products."

What does this mean to all us nut lovers in Rhode Island? So far, RI hasn't been named as one of the states to be worried about. Still, don't eat anything that contains pistachios. That means all trail mixes, granola, energy bars, as well as the plain old pistachio nuts in the shell and any other product containing pistachios, including Pistachio Cake. More news will be forthcoming as the FDA continues their investigation.

This salmonella scare is personal to me. I contracted salmonella a few years ago, and it wasn't a pretty picture. I had it for days before I sought medical treatment. The discomfort was awful. I had a high fever, I couldn't get out of bed. I ended up in the hospital with what the doctors thought was menengitis, and it dragged on for almost two weeks. If you have symptoms, don't wait like I did.

What Are Salmonella Symptoms?
According to the Mayo Clinic, "In general, salmonella symptoms begin with nausea and vomiting and progress to abdominal pains and diarrhea. Additional signs and symptoms include fever, chills and muscle pains, and can last anywhere from several days to two weeks."  For more information on salmonella symptoms, check out their website.

The FDA will continue to update the public as more news becomes available on the pistachio recall. For more information check out the FDA website at www.fda.gov. The FDA has lots of information and resourses for consumers, such as phone numbers and hotlines, how to report a complaint, list of latest company recalls and more. When any salmonella type outbreak or recall occurs, the FDA should be your first stop.


Sources:
NY Times
www.fda.gov
www.cdc.gov