BFAD team oversees pullout of pistachios

CEBU, Philippines - A team from the Bureau of Food and Drugs of the Department of Health-7 has started going around supermarkets yesterday to ensure that products containing pistachios of a certain brand will be pulled out from the shelves.

This is after they received an advisory from the central office ordering an “immediate recall of a number of pistachio and pistachio-containing products from the US”.

Food and Drug Regulation officer Monina Coyoca said that they will be checking the supermarkets, especially those selling imported products.

Coyoca said that though there have been no reports from hospitals of anyone suffering from salmonella contamination they will still be closely monitoring for these in the upcoming days.

The US Food and Drug Administration earlier announced that they are investigating the possibility of Salmonella contamination of pistachio products sold by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. in California.

FDA reported that “the company has stopped all the distribution of processed pistachios and has issued a voluntary recall involving approximately 1 million pounds of its products”.

The recalled products are: bulk sizes of the Georgia Nut Company’s Deluxe Nuts with Pistachios, Deluxe mixed nuts with shelled pistachios, Dry roasted shelled pistachios, Mixed nuts Deluxe roasted and salted bulk with shelled pistachios, Back to Nature Nantucket blend trail mix.

Also included are Setton pistachio’s roasted shelled and inshell pistachios and its roasted salted shelled pistachios.

Just last March 31, planters and Back to Nature products containing pistachio nuts voluntarily recalled its products also which are also being tested for salmonella contamination.

The products from planters are: Almond lovers large pack, Dry roasted Pistachios, Harvest Almond Orchard Blend, Harvest roasted pistachio grove, Holiday Variety tin, Nut-rition mix, Nut-rition Digestive health mix, Nut-rition heart healthy mix, Nut-rition go-nuts heart healthy mix, Pecan lovers mix, Pistachio lovers mix, Lover 3 pack, Pistachio Mix and Trail Mix-mixed nuts.

Products from back to nature are: Cashew, Almond and Pistachio Mix, Lightly roasted pistachio mix and the Nantucket blend.

Frito-Lay also voluntarily recalled its in-shell salted pistachios which may also be contaminated.

Coyoca stated that products with pistachios, whether in the list or not, should be avoided while investigation and tests are still going on.

Also, distributors, importers and retailers are ordered to stop importing and selling recalled products and for institutions and food establishments should ensure that pistachios and other products are not used as ingredients in the food they serve. – AJ de la Torre/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)