What to know about imported pistachios linked to enduring Salmonella outbreak
Federal officials say Iranian pistachios imported into Canada must first be caught and tested for salmonella before they can be sold.
The measure comes as federal health officials investigate an ongoing outbreak that includes 155 laboratory-confirmed Salmonella infections identified nationwide, with the actual number likely higher, given that not everyone who is sick seeks medical attention for testing.
Of the cases, 24 people were hospitalized, with no deaths. People became ill between early March and mid-November.
Due to possible contamination with different types of Salmonella, federal officials on Tuesday advised consumers to “consider alternatives to pistachios from Iran and products made from pistachios from Iran.”
“Many people who became ill reported eating pistachios and pistachio-containing products, such as Dubai style chocolate and pastry products“According to a notice from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) noted that various brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, including Dubai Pistachios and Nafeh Milk Chocolate as well as the nuts, are being recalled.
The investigation is ongoing and more food items may be identified.
Why does salmonella persist in nuts?
Salmonella infection is a food-borne bacterial illness that can cause fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, cramps, and diarrhea. It occurs when feces from infected humans or animals get into our mouth, such as by consuming contaminated food or drinks.
Microbiologists say salmonella may be common in growing areas due to manure runoff and sewage leaks from animal production.
“There are some Salmonella, like the Havana serotype, that can persist in soil,” S.Help Keith Warriner, a professor specializing in food safety at the University of Guelph.
Pistachios grow on trees and can also be contaminated by birds, insects or fungus While growing, harvesting or processing.
Pistachios also have a long shelf life, so products purchased months ago may still be in your home or business, health officials advise individuals as well as retailers, distributors and food service establishments such as grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries and cafes across Canada.
Consumers should check CFIA recall listing to see if their product is affected and compare the product description (brand, product name and size, UPC and code) to the recall notice, the food agency said.
“Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute the recalled products or use them in cooking or baking – heat cannot kill Salmonella in pistachios,” PHAC advised. Instead, throw away the recalled products or return them to the place of purchase.
Food microbiologists say that Salmonella survives very well in dry foods. Previous outbreaks have also been found in other nuts such as almonds Chocolate And Flour,
Delay in drying was associated with greater pathogen growth in a US study pistachio,
What about chocolate?
Food scientists say processing cannot kill Salmonella bacteria.
When contaminated nuts are included in chocolateSalmonella can survive stomach acid, Warriner said, and relatively low doses can cause illness.
What is Iran’s role in this epidemic?
According to the Government of Canada site, the pistachios affected in this outbreak were imported from Iran and pistachios from countries other than Iran are not affected.
Officials advise that it is safest to avoid the product if its country of origin cannot be confirmed, adding that not all pistachio-containing products have labels indicating where each ingredient comes from.
The recent recall of pistachios is affecting business in Ottawa. The owner of Pista Choco and the chocolatier says he is continuously working with concerned customers.
Effective September 27, Canada has temporarily banned the import of pistachios and pistachio-containing products from Iran as a precaution to prevent the possibility of new contaminated products entering the market, except for testing, inspection, recall notices and verification by the CFIA.
“In addition to these actions, the CFIA has now mandated all federally licensed importers and producers who have Iranian pistachios imported before September 27 to have them tested for Salmonella before they are sold in Canada.”
The goal, the CFIA said, is to protect Canadians from the disease and to give consumers more confidence that what they are buying is safe.
Warriner said there was a similar reaction romaine lettuce Which was exported from the Salinas Valley of California in response to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7.
“Requesting testing is not an unexpected response from the CFIA,” Warriner said in an email. “However, requesting testing could be viewed as a trade barrier. In the case of romaine lettuce the testing requirement was said to harm growers in the US, so a compromise was reached.”
Warriner explained that with pistachios, another risk is that the nuts could be distributed by other countries, such as Turkey. Given that the US and Iran are the two major producers of pistachios, determining the origin “would be relatively easy.”
In his view, testing like more Looking for needles in haystacks and what is needed are refinement methods.
