Pistachios in your pantry? What health experts say you should do amid a salmonella recall

Pistachios have been the subject of several recalls linked to a salmonella outbreak. While some officials say that doesn’t mean you should avoid products, others say toss the nut.

Pistachios have been the subject of a series of recalls linked to a salmonella outbreak, and while some health officials say that doesn’t mean people should avoid all pistachio products, others say toss the nut.

Four brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products have been recalled over the past several weeks by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency because of a possible salmonella contamination.

That includes Habibi brand pistachio kernels, Al Mokhtar Food Centre pistachios, Dubai brand milk chocolate bars and Andalos brand baklava.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says 52 have been sickened and 10 landed in hospital after eating contaminated pistachios and baked goods containing the nut.

That’s only a fraction of the illnesses, as many go unreported, they said.

It isn’t always easy to know what brand of pistachios are on top of a dessert or chopped on a salad, said April Hexemer, the public health agency’s director of outbreak management.

“Some of the products that people consumed are baked goods that have pistachios sort of sprinkled on top. You wouldn’t know what brand of pistachio that would be. But it’s all part of the investigation,” she said.

So far they’ve recalled baklava pastries containing pistachios served at a bakery in Montreal, and Dubai chocolate oozing with pistachio cream and crunchy knafeh pastry pieces, sold online across Canada.