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Salmonella Pistachio Product Recalls Growing

By PritzkerLaw

CONSUMER ALERT: FDA is advising consumers not to eat any brand of shelled or unshelled pistachios, or any food products containing pistachios, such as baked goods, trail mix, and other snack foods, until FDA determines which pistachios and pistachio products are affected by the recall being conducted by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. ("Setton"), also called Setton Farms. 

Fisher brand pistachios are among the latest products recalled as a result of Salmonella pistachio contamination found in bulk wholesale shipments from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. in California.

The number of entries in the searchable master list of pistachio product recalls has quickly grown to at least 65.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said again on Wednesday that several illnesses reported by consumers may be associated with contaminated California pistachios, but more testing is being conducted. Health investigators are trying  to determine if any of the strains of Salmonella found in Setton Pistachio nuts are linked to an outbreak.

Setton, a large roaster and distributor of California-grown pistachios, has halted production and is expected by the FDA to issue a voluntary recall involving 1 million pounds of product. The company that detected and blew the whistle on the contamination was Kraft Foods of Illinois, a large customer of Setton.

Kraft expanded its own related recall on Wednesday by announcing that all Planters brand and Back to Nature brand products containing pistachio nuts should not be consumed.

The Fisher recall, issued Wednesday by John B. Sanfilippo and Son Inc., applies to 1.75-ounce packages of dry roasted natural pistachios and 25-pound lots of natural California pistachios sold to fund-raisers, bulk food stores and re-baggers. Minnesota and Wisconsin were in the affected territory of the Fisher brand recall for the small packages and bulk items.

The FDA fully expects the list of recalled pistachio products to expand, much like has happened in the 7-month-old Salmonella outbreak related to peanut products sold by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).  That's because PCA and Setton sold largely to the wholesale market and their products were used as ingredients to make other food.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is representing victims of the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak, including the families of three women who died from their illnesses. The firm, which is involved on behalf of victims and survivors in virtually every major outbreak of foodborne illness, is gathering information on the potential pistachio Salmonella outbreak.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on April 01, 2009 (boomark / email).