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Frito-Lay, Kraft Recall More Foods Containing Pistachios

Consumers warned to avoid all pistachios for now

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 1, 2009

• FDA Warns Consumers Against California Pistachio Brands • California Produce Company Recalls Pistachios on Salmonella Fears • Floodgates Open in Pistachio Product Recall • More Pistachio Products Recalled • Feds Search Peanut Product Distributor in Salmonella Investigation • Pistachio Recall Continues To Expand • More Pistachio Nut Products Recalled • FDA Investigating Salmonella-Tainted Pistachios • Frito-Lay, Kraft Recall More Foods Containing Pistachios • Kraft Recalls Trail Mix Containing Pistachio Nuts • Georgia Company Says Products May Be Tainted with Salmonella --- • Salmonella: What It Is • More about Food Safety ...

The expected fallout from the salmonella-tainted pistachio recall has started as two snack food giants pull products off the market. The action comes just one day after Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Ind., recalled more than 1 million pounds of its roasted shelled and in-shell pistachios because of possible salmonella contamination.

The company said it suspects the pistachios became contaminated by salmonella-tainted raw nuts they were processed with at the hulking facility.

When Setton Pistachio announced its massive recall, it warned the action could trigger additional recalls because its nuts were used in a variety of foods. The company distributed the pistachios to more than 35 wholesalers nationwide. The first wave of those predicted recalls has now surfaced.

Frito-Lay has recalled its 1.75 ounce packages of Salted Pistachios (in shell) with sell-by dates between 14-Jul-09 through 29-Dec-09 and the UPC code: 0 28400 03888 1. The date is located on the front of each package. The company distributed the pistachios to retail stores in the United States and Canada. Frito-Lay said it has not received any reports of illnesses linked to these pistachios. Consumers who have questions about this action can contact Frito-Lay at 1-800-352-4477.

Kraft Foods has also recalled several Planters and Back to Nature products because they contain potentially-tainted pistachios supplied by Setton Pistachio. Kraft said it distributed the products to retailers nationwide. It has not received any reports of illnesses linked to these items.

Here is a list of products included in this recall:

Kraft said consumers should not eat any of these products. For more information, consumers can contact the company at 1-866-538-8280 or visit its www.kraftfoodscompany.com">Web site.

Meanwhile, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) continue to warn consumers not to eat pistachios because of possible salmonella contamination.

“Our advice to consumers is that they avoid eating pistachio products, and that they hold onto those products,” Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s assistant commissioner for food safety, told the Associated Press. “The number of products that are going to be recalled over the coming days will grow, simply because these pistachio nuts have then been repackaged into consumer-level containers.”

Health officials say it may be weeks before they know which products are contaminated with salmonella in this latest food scare.

Setton Pistachio is the second largest pistachio processor in the country. The company shipped the potentially tainted nuts to wholesalers nationwide. And many food manufacturers used the pistachios in everything from ice cream to cake mixes.

The company’s Web site also states it exports its “premium California pistachios” to more than 30 foreign markets.

The FDA learned about this latest salmonella contamination on March 24, when Kraft Foods said its Back to Nature Trail Mix had tested positive for the organism. Kraft identified the source of the contamination as pistachios from Setton and notified the FDA.

Kraft and the Georgia Nut Co. also recalled the Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix the following day.

The FDA said it has not linked any illnesses to these tainted pistachios. Two people called the agency with complaints of gastrointestinal illness that could be connected to the pistachios, officials said. But health officials have not confirmed the connection.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

In rare circumstances, the organism can get into the bloodstream and cause more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.

FDA officials said the contamination problems with the pistachios is not related to the recent salmonella outbreak linked to tainted peanuts and peanut products.

That outbreak is blamed for the illnesses of nearly 700 people in 46 states and may have contributed to the deaths of nine others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Federal officials identified the source of that contamination as peanuts and peanut products from the Georgia-based Peanut Corporation of America.

The FDA now has a database consumers can search to see if any of their favorite foods that contain pistachios are being recalled. The agency has a similar database for peanut butter products recalled in the wake of the massive salmonella outbreak.

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