Personal Injury Law

Feds Find Salmonella At Setton's Plant; Company Expands Pistachio Recall

By Marler Clark LLP

There are a couple of developments today in the pistachio front.  First the feds have found traces of salmonella in the Terra Bella, California processing facility.   That was probably why Setton Pistachio earlier today expanded its recall of pistachios to include all roasted shell pistachios and in-shell pistachios "due to possible salmonella contamination."

Withdrawal from its 2008 crop also includes raw shell pistachios that are not subsequently roasted before sale, according to the second-largest pistachio processor in the United States.

Setton Pistachio issued a nationwide recall of pistachios on March 30, a week Kraft Foods Inc told U.S. health regulators that its Back To Nature trail mix was contaminated with salmonella and identified Setton as the source.

As part of its update today, FDA said:

Initially, the firm's recall was limited to certain lots of roasted pistachios. Information from the joint FDA and California Department of Public Health inspection indicates the presence of Salmonella in critical areas of the facility and the potential for cross-contamination between raw and roasted products. After this information was shared with Setton, the firm decided to expand its recall.

Meanwhile, the FDA's list of pistachio products that have been caught up in the recall has gone over 144 separate items and that count does not include what's been added over the past weekend.  Just not eating pistachios until FDA gives the all clear sign is the wise thing to do.  If you just cannot wait, at least check the list here to be sure you are avoiding the risky items.

Full post as published by Salmonella Blog on April 07, 2009 (boomark / email).