FDA Advising Consumers to Watch Out for Potentially Contaminated Pistachios

Staff Writer, April 6, 2009

Several Americans have made reports to the national Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they suffered from gastrointestinal illness after consuming pistachios. Though an official recall has not yet been made for this food product, the FDA is recommended that those people who bought the nuts from Kroger’s Private Selection, or of the Kraft brand do not eat them. Both companies have recalled their products as a precaution. Some suspicion exists that the pistachios may, in fact, be contaminated with salmonella.

Though this outbreak would be in no way related to the outbreak that was found in peanuts and subsequently, peanut butter, the possibility of contamination is very real. The FDA recommends that if you or your family members have a stash of pistachios or some pistachio ice cream in the freezer that you not eat it.

The FDA feels that it is “ahead of the curve” on this investigation, and is working hard to ensure that all dangerous products be removed from supermarket shelves. It also wants to emphasize that the investigation was not prompted by an outbreak, as in the peanut scare. Instead, the food manufacturers themselves alerted the public to the possible contamination. Also, the FDA is trying to create a faster response, because it may have been partially to blame for the deadly peanut outbreak, which actually poisoned 600 people and left nine dead.