Avoid Pistachios…until further notice

http://www.fda.gov/pistachios/

Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. based in California, has voluntarily recalled more than 2 million pounds of roasted nuts shipped from its California plant to 36 wholesalers throughout the country after some pistachios tested positive for salmonella. The plant also ships nuts to Norway and Mexico. The FDA has received calls from at least 2 consumers complaining of gastrointestinal disorders after eating pistachios which have not been definitively linked to the California plant.

A number of companies have recalled some of their pistachio based products. Kraft Foods recalled a brand of trail mix and Kroger a brand of bagged pistachios as did Frito-Lay, reported the Dallas Morning News.

Even though 2 million pounds is only a fraction of the total output from the plant, Dr. David Acheson the assistant commissioner for food safety in an AP article cautions consumers to avoid eating pistachio products.

As of April 29, 606 pistachio products have been recalled. Tap on the link to see all the recalled products. And check back often because the recall is expected to expand.

List of Recalled Pistachio Products

CAL-PURE, a pistachio growers co-op in California has created a website containing all pistachio brands and products that do not contain pistachios from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., but be aware this information has not been verified by the FDA.

I like pistachios but the shells are sometimes a pain to open. I once cracked open a tooth on a pistachio shell and wound up with a gold crown. Good thing I wasn’t poisoned with salmonella too.

Have you ever had pistachio nut ice-cream? Why do they call it pistachio nut? Shouldn’t it just be pistachio ice-cream? Isn’t the nut part understood? I know, what about peanut and walnut? Well, the nut is part of the name; you wouldn’t just say pea or wal.

First it was peanuts, now pistachios. I guess there’s something about the P-nut that makes it especially susceptible to bacteria. What’s next, the Pecan?