Pistachio recall in effect due to salmonella concerns
Why
A Central California company is recalling about 1 million pounds of pistachios over concerns of possible salmonella contamination. Food safety officials are looking through Setton Farms' plant in rural Tulare County to see if it could lead them to the source of the contamination. The recalls began last Friday when the Georgia Nut Company recalled its Kraft Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix after some samples tested positive for salmonella. Setton Farms has started a separate recall of roasted pistachios, and grocery operator Kroger also has recalled some pistachio products. No illnesses have been reported. The California Department of Public Health said Monday it was tracking nuts processed at Setton Farms, a firm whose Web site describes it as the second-largest pistachio processor in the United States. State authorities said Setton sent its roasted pistachios to Georgia Nut. Setton Farms has initiated a separate recall of three lots of roasted pistachios tied to the positive results in the trail mix, California officials said. Kroger said the California firm also supplied the line of pistachios it recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. Those nuts were sold in 31 states. Setton Farms did not immediately respond to calls for comment. Dr. David Acheson, director of food safety for the Food and Drug Administration said the contaminated pistachios are not related to a recent outbreak of salmonella tied to peanuts, reports CBS News Correspondent Nancy Cordes. The one million pound recall figure could grow as the company tracks its products, Cordes reports, and it will likely extend to all manner of pistachio products. Right now, the FDA is advising Americans not to eat pistachios but not to throw away their pistachios either. Basically, people should hold on to their pistachios until the FDA knows more about which products are affected. Public health officials in four states are investigating a Salmonella outbreak associated with spices made by a California company that has so far sickened 42 people, 33 of them in California. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), said in a Mar 28 press release that consumers should avoid eating spices produces by Union International Food Company, though only white and black pepper products have been linked to the illnesses. The company recalled its pepper and other spice products, which were primarily sold to distributors and restaurants in California and Oregon under the Lian How brand name. The products, which include the wording "Packed by Union International Foods" or "Union National Foods," were packed in various-sized containers, from 2.2-lb foil bags to 15-lb cardboard boxes with plastic liners. Besides pepper, other seasonings subject to the recall include cayenne pepper, paprika, chopped onion, onion powder, garlic, curry powder, mustard powder, and wasabi powder. William Keene, senior epidemiologist in the Public Health Division of the Oregon Department of Human Services, told CIDRAP News that the outbreak strain is Salmonella enterica serotype Rissen, which has so far sickened four Oregon residents. He said the strain is also linked to cases in Washington and Nevada. California officials said no deaths have been attributed to the outbreak and the latest known illness onset is Mar 13. Cases were reported from 15 counties in the central and northern part of the state. Salmonellosis is marked by diarrhea, fever, and cramps that start between 12 and 72 hours after infection, with symptoms that last from 4 to 7 days, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most people recover without treatment, but severe cases can occur in infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immunity.
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pistachio recall,food recalls, pistachios, setton farms, pistachio, pistachio nuts
References:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/30/health/main4905228.shtml,http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/fs/food-disease/news/mar3009salmonella-jw.html,http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/41853987.html,http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/kroger_co_said_today_it.html
