1 million pounds of pistachios recalled

WASHINGTON, March 31 (UPI) -- Federal officials say a California processor will recall about 1 million pounds of pistachio products due to concern over possible salmonella contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration said Monday that Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, based in the Central Valley town of Terra Bella, Calif., would recall its 2008 crop after learning that one of its customers had detected salmonella during a routine examination, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The customer, Kraft Foods, notified the FDA of the discovery March 24.

No illnesses have been associated with Terra Bella pistachios but two customer complaints were being investigated, the newspaper said.

The Setton pistachio products were shipped in lots of 1,000 and 2,000 pounds to about three dozen wholesalers, who then repackaged them for sale to other customers. Dr. David Acheson, associate FDA commissioner for foods, said the recall is likely to be expanded as pistachios are tracked to other users such as ice cream and cake mix manufacturers.

The announcement comes almost two months after a major recall of peanut products possibly linked to salmonella. However, the Times said, the pistachio recall is not linked to the salmonella outbreak associated with peanut products, which made hundreds of people sick and resulted in the recall of almost 4,000 products made with peanuts.

The FDA Monday said the Kroger Co. was recalling its Private Selection-brand shelled pistachios due to possible contamination. The nuts, which might be contaminated with salmonella bacteria, were sold in Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, Smith's, Dillons, QFC, City Market, Foods Co., Jay C, Scott's, Owen's, Baker's, Gerbes, Hilander and Pay Less stores.

The recalled pistachios -- sold in 10-ounce containers with a "Sell by" date of "DEC-13-09" and "DEC-14-09" with UPC Code: 11110 73615 -- were sold in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.