Going Nuts: The Latest on the Pistachio Recall

First peanuts, now pistachios…. What can a hungry child eat anymore?

After Salmonella infections were identified in peanuts, many parents are nervous about feeding their young children products containing peanuts and have switched to alternative nut products.

Recently, however, Salmonella bacteria have been detected some pistachio products processed by Seton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc.

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes gastrointestinal infection: vomiting and diarrhea. These infections can be mild or they can be severe, especially in young children.

As of April 7, 2009, no known human infections have been caused by this contamination.

Tips for parents:

Though these infectious disease scares may give parents second thoughts about feeding any nuts to their children, I think that there is nothing to panic about. If you stay educated about the specific products to avoid, you can easily keep your family safe.

To keep up to date on the latest about the pistachio recall, please visit the FDA website, which is updated regularly.

To read more about Salmonella infections, please see the CDC website.

Bottom Line:

Sometimes it seems like there’s a threat lurking around every corner, or in every lunchbox. Remember that the serious foodborne illnesses that are highly published in the media are uncommon in this country. But it pays to keep informed.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::