Nuts and products made from them are common sources of food poisoning as a look back at some E.coli and Salmonella outbreaks shows.
Yesterday, a Salmonella outbreak linked to Wonderful brand pistachios that has sickened 11 people was announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A recall has been issued for pistachios sold under the brand names Wonderful, Paramount Farms, and Trader Joe’s, consumers who have purchased the recalled nuts should not eat them.
In 2015, a Salmonella outbreak linked to Jem brand nut butters sickened 13 people in 10 states. A recall was issued for the products which were linked to illnesses from July 2015 to November 2015. Cases of Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+) infection were reported from the following states California (1), Colorado (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Idaho (1), Illinois (1), Maine (1), New Jersey (1), North Carolina (1), and Oregon (4).
In 2014, a five-state Salmonella Braenderup outbreak linked to nut butters made by nSpired Natural Foods sickened six people. The recalled products were sold under the brand names Trader Joe’s, Kroger, MaraNatha, Arrowhead Mills, and Whole Foods. Cases were reported from Connecticut (1), Iowa (1), New Mexico (1), Tennessee (1), and Texas (2).
In 2013, a Salmonella outbreak linked to non-dairy cheese made from cashews sickened 17 people in three states. Three people were hospitalized. The maker of the cheese, Cultured Kitchen of West Sacramento, issued a recall for the cheese on December 31. Fifteen of the illnesses were in California. Nevada and Wyoming each reported one case.
In 2012, a Salmonella outbreak linked to tainted peanut butter produced by Sunland Inc., then the nation’s largest producer of organic peanut butter, sickened 42 people. Those products were sold under the brand names Target’s Archer Farms, Earth Balance, Safeway’s Open Nature, fresh & easy, heinen’s, Joseph’s, Natural Value, Dogsbutter, Earth Balance, Late July, Joseph’s, Naturally More, Open Nature, Peanut Power, Serious Food Silly Prices, Newman’s Own, Harry & David, Trader Joe’s, Sunland, and Snaclite. And in 2008 and 2009, peanut butter produced Peanut Corporation of America sickened m0re than 700 people, 116 were hospitalized. Seven people died.
In 20111, an E. coli outbreak linked to in-shell hazelnuts sickened eight people in three states: Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Four of those sickened, who ranged in age from 15 to 78 years, were hospitalized.
Between August and October of 2011, 43 people in five states contracted Salmonella infections, called salmonellosis,from imported Turkish pine nuts. The nuts were sold from bulk bins at Wegmen’s grocery stores. Two people were hospitalized. The illnesses were concentrated on the East Coast, where Wegman’s stores are located. By state, the case count was as follows: Maryland (1), New Jersey (2), New York (28), Pennsylvania (8), and Virginia (4).
In 2009, peanut butter produced by Peanut Corporation of America sickened 714 people, killing nine of them.
A 2009 Salmonella outbreak linked to pistachios prompted Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Calif., the nation’s second-largest pistachio processor, to recall 2 million pounds of nuts.
In 2007, Salmonella in Peter Pan Peanut Butter sickened 425 people.
In 2006, 100 people in South Carolina got Salmonella infections from peanuts sold at a fair. Three people were hospitalized.
From September 2003 to April 2004, 29 people in 12 states and Canada contracted salmonellosis from raw almonds produced by Paramount Farms of Lost Hills, Calif. and sold by retailers including Costco and Trader Joe’s. About 18 million pounds of nuts were recalled.
