Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., Terra Bella, Calif., is voluntarily expanding its recall of roasted pistachios to include all lots of roasted in

The FDA and the California Department of Public Health continue to investigate Salmonella contamination in pistachios and pistachio products. Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., Terra Bella, Calif., is voluntarily expanding its recall of roasted pistachios to include all lots of roasted in-shell pistachios and roasted shelled pistachios that were produced from nuts harvested in 2008. The firm is also recalling those raw shelled pistachios from the 2008 crop that are not subsequently roasted prior to retail sale. The pistachios may be contaminated with Salmonella. Initially, the firm's recall was limited to certain lots of roasted pistachios. Information from the joint FDA and California Department of Public Health inspection indicates the presence of Salmonella in critical areas of the facility and the potential for cross-contamination between raw and roasted products. After this information was shared with Setton, the firm decided to expand its recall.Visit http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/pistachiorecall/index.cfm to search for pistachio product recalls for more information.The FDA has now determined that three environmental samples and one finished product sample obtained during the inspection of Setton Pistachio Inc. were positive for Salmonella. The same Salmonella type (Salmonella Montevideo) with the same genetic fingerprint was found in all four samples. FDA has provided PulseNet, the CDC database of bacterial DNA fingerprints, with the DNA fingerprints of the Salmonella strains found in association with the company's products. Some of the DNA fingerprints of the Salmonella strains from the pistachio products match the DNA fingerprints of Salmonella strains from recently ill persons already in the PulseNet database. This particular strain of Salmonella also has been isolated from a stool sample in a child who developed gastroenteritis and who is reported to have consumed pistachios that were sourced from Setton Pistachio. In addition, this specific Salmonella fingerprint matches a number of other clinical isolates in the PulseNet data base. However, it is important to recognize that when a patient's isolate has a relatively common DNA fingerprint pattern (such as this one) that matches that of a food isolate, it does not necessarily follow that the patient's illness was related to that food. CDC is investigating whether the other cases infected with this strain of Salmonella have had exposure to pistachios from Setton Pistachio.Because the pistachios were used as ingredients in a variety of foods, this expanded recall will affect many products and is expected to result in other recalls. The FDA has created a searchable database of recalled products at http://www.fda.gov/pistachios/ and will continue to update the public as its investigation progresses. Consumers should not eat pistachios or food products containing them (such as pistachio bakery goods and pistachio ice cream) until they can determine that the products do not contain pistachios recalled by Setton. It is encouraged to view this webpage frequently as the list of recalled products continues to expand.The FDA is advising wholesalers, retailers, and operators of restaurants and food service establishments not to sell or serve any pistachios or pistachio-containing products until the source of the pistachios can be determined. Firms should check with their suppliers to determine whether the source of the pistachios is Setton. If the source is Setton and the products are subject to this recall, then the pistachios and pistachio products should not be sold. The FDA is helping the pistachio industry address the public health risks associated with Salmonella and to understand appropriate control procedures to prevent contamination. As part of this effort, on April 3, 2009, the FDA issued a letter to pistachio processors in the United States reminding them of their legal responsibility to ensure that the products they are providing are safe for consumption. The FDA intends to examine current pistachio industry practices and issue guidance to the industry that provides additional information on measures to be taken to prevent Salmonella contamination.CAL-PURE co-op of California pistachio growers and the Western Pistachio Association have established a Web site that lists firms that have informed the web site sponsors that their products do not contain pistachios from Setton. Information on this Web site has not been verified by the FDA, and the Agency is not responsible for its contents: www.pistachiorecall.org.Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. There is no action required of local health departments at this time. However, during the course of routine inspections, if pistachio products originating from Setton Pistachio, Inc. are found, appropriate enforcement actions should be taken to prevent the further sale and distribution of these products.