Pistachios recalled over salmonella concern in B.C.

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

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is asking consumers who bought pistachio nuts from a Metro Vancouver market to return them to the store or throw them out because they could be contaminated with salmonella.

The recall applies to shelled pistachio kernels sold at Kourosh Foods Market, located at 1860 Lonsdale Ave., in North Vancouver.

The recalled product was sold in various sizes and has a product code starting with 200422, according to the notice.

The agency urges anyone who became sick after consuming the recalled nuts to contact a health-care provider.

“Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products,” the CFIA says in the recall notice.

“Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased.”

The recall was triggered by the results of testing done by the agency. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the recalled product, the CFIA says.

The Public Health Agency of Canada, meanwhile, is conducting a broader investigation into pistachio-linked salmonella infections across the country.

The agency says 105 illnesses, including 16 hospitalizations, have been connected to various brands of pistachios and products that contain the nut.

The majority of those illnesses have been reported in Quebec and Ontario, while six have been reported in B.C., according to the agency.

The CFIA says its Kourosh Foods Market investigation may lead to the recall of additional products.

“Food contaminated with salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick,” the recall notice says.

“Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections.”

Healthy people who contract salmonella may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, while long-term complications from the infection can include severe arthritis.

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