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Raw
nuts may be source of pistachio contamination
Source
of Article: http://www.ift.org/news_bin/news/news_home.shtml
4/03/2009-According to a USA Today article, the
Salmonella
contamination of pistachios at Calif.-based Setton Pistachio may have
occurred when contaminated raw nuts got mixed with roasted nuts during
processing. Kraft spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati said her company’s auditors
“observed employee practices where raw and roasted nuts were not adequately
segregated and that could explain the sporadic contamination.” Roasting is
supposed to kill the bacteria; however if it is done wrong if could be re-contaminated.
The Food and Drug
Administration learned about the Salmonella
when Kraft Foods Inc. notified the agency that routine product tested had
detected the bacteria in roasted pistachios. Setton is now voluntarily
recalling more two million lbs of its roasted pistachios, and has shut down
the plant. The plant’s products were shipped to 36 wholesalers, but it is
unclear what those wholesalers did with the product—whether they were
repackaged for consumers or whether they were sold to manufacturers.
USA Today article
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