Barely two months after a huge recall of peanut-related products, federal officials say that a California processor will recall about one million pounds of pistachio products because of concerns about salmonella contamination.
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.
F.D.A. officials warned consumers not to eat pistachios until the scope of the contamination was clear.
A spokesman for Setton declined to comment, saying the company’s own inquiry into the cause of the contamination was continuing. Setton says that the California plant is the second-largest pistachio processor in the United States.
Kraft Foods said its inspectors visited the California plant where the pistachios were processed, and found that the plant was not keeping its roasted pistachios separate from the incoming flow of raw nuts. Like other nuts, raw pistachios can carry pathogens that are killed in the roasting process.
Kraft Foods on Wednesday recalled a trail mix containing pistachios marketed by its Back to Nature Foods unit.
Cripes! I love pistachios.
Upton, we need you!
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All this makes one wonder how many times, in years past, we simply had “indigestion” or “stomach flu” or the more accurate “food poisoning” it was in reality salmonella or ecoli or whatever the contaminant of the day is.
Much like the way nobody dies of “old age” anymore, nobody has “heartburn” anymore (it’s acid reflux now) and dogs all of a sudden need their teeth brushed and nails cut.
Not to make light of the possibility of death, but these days, every mild to severe gastric distress must now have a cause, instigate lawsuits, have major media coverage, etc.
Did we really have less of these pathogens in our food years ago, or did we perhaps have even more, but in the days before air bags, unleaded gas, polarized electrical plugs and triple sealed Tylenol, nobody noticed?
“peanutbutter fills the cracks in the hart”
#4 – tell that to those who had family members die during the peanut alert.
Why isn’t the California Animal Health and Food Safety Services Division doing its job? In a lib state like CA you’d think this couldn’t happen…
@#2: My preferred theory. We clean too much and fuss too much. Our immune systems lack any serious exposure and are thus weak. Just watched Africa Trek and seen native people scoop the slimiest water you ever saw. Drunk a lot and brought even more for home. Every one of them looked more like athlete than we will ever do.
On conspiracy theory side: this coincides too much with recent efforts to place unconscionable rules on domestic agriculture “for the food safety sake”. Is it Big Government attempt to convince us it is needed or I watched too much South Park?
#5
It’s always easier for people to be ignorant when it’s not happening to them. Why care at all is their stance.
#2, Interesting points.
I remember back in the mid-80s we used to eat at this place we called the “Ptomaine Taco Stand” in Va Beach. It gave you the runs something fierce, but you got a free pitcher of beer if you ordered a dozen tacos.
I don’t think it would survive the government today. It was a shit-hole. But everybody knew that, so those with the cast-iron stomachs ate there and those who didn’t, didn’t.
Ah, those were the days.
I seem to recall seeing or reading something about us using too much antibacterial soaps and disinfectants and that our immune system are not getting the opprotunity to develop a resistance to these very common bugs and stuff.
#10
What you’re saying are what some doctor’s and a few scientist are trying to get the public to believe. They are basically saying kids are growing up too “clean” and thus their immune system can’t handle the minor illnesses as well. These doctors recommend having your kids eat dirt, get poison ivy and so forth to build their immune system up.
I’m staying clear of these recommendations 🙂
Funny how no one questions Kraft. If I were investigating, I would look at Kraft covering up their own flaws in their process.
Peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter. All very tasty condiments. Does anyone make a similar pistachio spread? I’d be interested to know. Food poisoning aside, of course.
#13. Pistachio ice cream is very good.
I wonder why this kind of news keeps popping out in American media. Elsewhere, even in third world nations you just buy eggs, pistachios, tomatos, etc., from an open air market (I buy mine from an old lady’s farm near my house here in Japan), and used to buy mangoes and guavas by crates in Colombia. We’d just wash them with tap water and ate them. Never had any problems or ever heard anyone dying from this (stomach ache from overeating was the most we got). Now all of a sudden, UV-ed, irradiated, disinfected, supermarket pistachios, peanuts and jalapenos are supposedly deadly? Bull$t.
#2, Dave W,
Did we really have less of these pathogens in our food years ago, or did … nobody noticed?
Most likely there were more. However, many people died from these diseases.
Just because there is a chance our house could burn doesn’t mean we either move back into caves or let it burn. We take precautions to prevent a fire.
What the Liebertarians miss is that this was caught because the plant was NOT using the safe practices developed by the GOVERNMENT.
Kraft Foods deserves credit for being proactive.
Not a problem, go to http://www.heartofthedesert.com instead. Great food and it’s grown in New Mexico, not California. I love their Garlic and Green Chili flavor!