B.C. supermarket the latest to see pistachio recall amid salmonella outbreak

Shelled pistachio kernels are seen in this file image. (Shutterstock.com)

Pistachios sold at a Surrey, B.C., supermarket have been linked to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s broader investigation of a salmonella outbreak with cases spanning multiple provinces.

Pistachio kernels sold in bulk and in variable-size packages at KabulVan Supermarket on King George Boulevard are now subject to a recall, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced Wednesday.

The recall applies to pistachios sold from March 31 through Aug. 13, inclusive, according to the CFIA.

Anyone who purchased the products should throw them out or return them to the market, the CFIA said. Consumers should not eat the pistachios and should contact their health-care provider if they believe they’ve become sick from the contaminated product.

“Food contaminated with salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick,” the CFIA said, in its announcement.

“Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.”

The Surrey recall is the latest in a series that has spanned several provinces, with various brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products sold in Ontario, Quebec, B.C. and New Brunswick the subject of previous recalls.

As of Tuesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported 62 cases of salmonella associated with the outbreak, including five in B.C.

The majority of the cases – 45 – have been reported in Quebec.

Infected people have ranged in age from two to 89, and 10 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

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