WASHINGTON — A basic manufacturing error on the production lines of a California processing plant is believed to have contaminated its pistachio nuts with salmonella bacteria, a top federal food safety official said Tuesday.
Consumers were warned Monday by the government to stop eating all products containing pistachios.
Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., the second largest pistachio producer in California, ran raw and roasted nuts through the same machinery on several production lines, said David Acheson, associate commissioner for food at the Food and Drug Administration.
Salmonella bacteria can live on raw nuts but are usually killed during the roasting process. Good manufacturing standards call for keeping raw and roasted nuts separate so that bacteria does not spread between the two.
It is unclear why Setton ran raw and roasted nuts through the same machinery.
The company was apparently aware it had a salmonella problem because its own internal tests found the bacteria on roasted nuts, Acheson said. Managers ran the nuts through the roasting process a second time to kill the bacteria before shipping it to customers, an accepted way to “recondition” the product, Acheson said.
The FDA learned of those test results within the last week. Setton did not report them to any regulatory agency because it is not required to do so under state or federal law.
Setton voluntarily recalled more than 2 million pounds of pistachios Monday night. But because the company sells to about 35 wholesalers and food manufacturers, who repackage the pistachios for retail sale or use them as ingredients in other products, it was not immediately clear which consumer goods are affected. It could take weeks before a comprehensive list is compiled.
That has prompted federal officials to warn consumers to stop eating pistachios of any kind for the time being. “Our advice is to avoid eating pistachio products; don’t throw them out, hold onto them as we learn more about this,” Acheson said.
No illnesses have been linked to pistachios from Setton. Two people have complained to the FDA that they got sick after eating pistachios, but health officials have not made any definitive connection to the nuts in question, Acheson said.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and cramping. The infection can be fatal for children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
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