WASHINGTON — If you have a stash of pistachios in your house,
pistachio ice cream in your freezer or trail mix in your backpack, don’t panic.
Save them until a probe into possible salmonella contamination is farther
along, the FDA advises.
The Food and Drug Administration learned of the potential problem last
Tuesday, when Kraft Foods Inc. notified the agency that they had found
salmonella in roasted pistachios during routine testing. The nuts were traced
to Setton Farms in Terra Bella, California — about 75 miles south of Fresno.
Setton quickly announced a recall.
Kraft removed its Back To Nature Trail Mix from store shelves, and Kroger
– a grocery chain with stores in 31 states — recalled Private Selection
shelled pistachios from its retail stores.
FDA Associate Commissioner David Acheson stressed at a news conference
Monday that the potential problems with pistachios was unrelated to the recall
of peanut products, including peanut butter.
The pistachio probe also involves the California Department of Public
Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Acheson said the FDA was keeping its Web site updated with the latest
information for consumers.
Setton Farms told the FDA they anticipate recalling about 1 million
pounds of products nationally in the next few days, which covers their crop
output last year.
