Whole Story

Update 4/10/09

As of today, just one more recall has come in from our Florida region.

• Nuts about Florida brand pistachios

Update 4/9/09

Some additional items have been added to the pistachio recall list from yesterday.  We expect more information to roll in as our suppliers identify if they have used affected pistachios.  We thank you all for your patience.

• Sahale Snacks Ksar Nut Blends*, 6 - 5 oz [Best By Dates: 10/16/2009, 10/30/2009, 11/20/2009, 11/27/2009 & 12/25/2009]
• Sahale Snacks Ksar Nut Blends, 12 - 2 oz [Best By Dates: 10/16/2009, 10/30/2009, 11/20/2009, 11/27/2009 & 12/25/2009]
• Lake Champlain Triple Nut Chocolate Bars [Lots: 08275, 08294, 08295, 08354, 09026, 09027, 09063]
• Lake Champlain Triple Nut Chocolate Squares [Lots: 08302, 08310, 08337, 09063 & 09083]
• Lake Champlain Chocolate Journeys [Lots: 08288, 08287, 08301, 08309, 08326, 09009, 09029 & 09035]

* Includes: Sahale Snacks Ksar Pistachios/Pistaches with Sesame Seeds, Pepitas, Fig + Moroccan Harissa. Avec Graines De Sesame, Graines De Citrouille, Figue + Harissa Marocain (5oz)

Update 4/8/09

As of 6pm EST Wednesday, April 8, the following pistachio products have been recalled/withdrawn:

• 365 Pistachios dry roasted & salted (In-Shell) 16oz [Lot Codes: 07/08/2009 GL1, 07/08/2009 GL2, & 11/27/2009 GL1 only]
• Flavor Tree In Shell Salted Pistachios 16oz [Lot Codes: Best Before dates of 08/12/2009, 07/21/2009 & 10/16/2009]
• Various Chukar Cherry Company items: Dried Fruit & Nuts Berry & Pistachio 100% Natural Energy Mix.
• Häagen-Dazs Pistachio ice cream (removed as a precautionary measure by Häagen-Dazs)
• Whole Foods Market Snack Naturally Pistachios, R/S in shell 11oz
• Whole Foods Market Prepack Roasted and salted pistachios in shell, Raw deshelled pistachios, and Chili Lemon Pistachios – Note Whole Foods Market Garlic Onion Pistachios not affected
• Whole Foods Market Prepack Raw deshelled pistachios (no Shell)
• Bulk Raw Shelled pistachios
• Various Bulk and Prepack pistachio items
• Various Prepack pistachio items
• Various bulk bin items as a precaution

For more information on bulk and prepack items affected by this recall, please contact your local store as these items vary from store to store.

Update 4/7/09

Setton Farms has greatly expanded their recall on a number of their pistachio items. The recall now includes all roasted de-shelled and in-shell pistachios and raw de-shelled pistachios from Setton Farms entire 2008 crop. (See: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/setton204_09.html) Our Food Safety team has determined that no additional 365 Private Label or Flavor Tree products are affected. Other manufacturers will also be evaluating their products in the coming days to determine the impact of this expanded recall. We will keep you updated as new information comes in. Thank you for your patience!

Update 4/6/09

A few updates:

• The Chukar Cherry Company has recalled various items, including their Dried Fruit & Nuts Berry & Pistachio 100% Natural Energy Mix sold in our Midwest and Pacific Northwest stores.
• Häagen-Dazs Pistachio ice cream (removed as a precautionary measure by Häagen-Dazs)
• Our Pacific Northwest Region has received confirmation from all pistachio suppliers for our bulk departments in that region that they are not affected by the recall.

Please read the April 3rd update for information on bulk pistachios in each of our regions.

Update 4/3/09

Thanks for your patience while we are researching the various suppliers of our bulk pistachios to determine if they are affected by the recall from Setton Farms. Due to the empowerment of our stores for local and regional buying, our supply chain is very diverse. We are working with our many different vendors to assess our products and help you know what to do with any pistachios you may have at home. While we don't have all of the answers yet, we wanted to go ahead and get this information to you. We will update it when we learn more. (Not sure which region your state falls in? Check here.)

*Some manufacturers may choose to issue a "Pull and Hold" - this means they are asking to have their product pulled off the shelf while they research their ingredients. Of course, if you have pistachio products from other retailers, you will need to review the information available on the FDA pistachio recall page.  We are only reporting in this blog on products that we sell in our stores. Many vendors who make products that contain pistachios are currently reviewing their sourcing and this may take some time, especially for small or local producers. Please be aware that additional recalls of products may continue to occur in the next few weeks. If you have any concerns about a product containing pistachios, please return it to our stores. Please read the 4/1/09 update for information about the Flavor Tree and 365 Pistachios that were recalled.

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Update 4/1/09

Specific lot numbers of these two items that were on "pull and hold" status yesterday have now been recalled. If you have the lots numbers of these products, please return them to our stores for a refund:

• Flavor Tree In-Shell Salted Pistachios 16 oz

UPC: 72261-02727 Lots: Best Before dates of 07/21/2009, 08/12/2009 & 10/16/2009 ONLY (other lot codes are not affected)

• 365 Pistachios dry roasted & salted (In-Shell) 16oz

UPC: 9948240435 Lots:  Best Before dates of 07/08/2009 GL1, 07/08/2009 GL2, & 11/27/2009 GL1 (other lot codes are not affected)

Pull and Hold Released

According to Talenti, their Sicilian Pistachio Gelato does not use the recalled Setton Farms pistachios and has been released for sale.

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Posted 3/31/09

You may have heard that Setton Pistachio, a major manufacturer in California, has issued a nationwide recall of some of its pistachio products due to a possible salmonella contamination. An investigation is underway by the FDA and the California Department of Public Health. The FDA recommends that consumers avoid eating pistachio products until more information is available, and they will be updating their pistachio recall page. (This voluntary recall is not in any way related to the recent recalls associated with peanuts or peanut butter.) This is very, very early in the investigative process and we have little solid information to share at this time. But we know you have questions and we want you to know that we are working on getting answers.

We are researching to determine whether any products in our stores may contain the pistachio products recalled. Our Food Safety team is looking at all areas of our business, the FDA is investigating and we will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds. Setton sold pistachios in very large quantities to other manufacturers. They could have been used in a variety of products, from bulk nuts to ice cream and cookies.

While our Food Safety and Regional Buying teams do the leg work required to assess our products, we've decided to initially remove 1 lb bags of Flavor Tree Pistachios and our private label 365 Pistachios from our shelves. We do not yet know if these or other products are affected but we will let our customers know immediately, in our stores and on our website, if any of the products we carry are recalled. In the meantime, customers can return any pistachios or products containing pistachios to their local store for a full refund.

In the days and weeks to come, companies that use pistachios as an ingredient will be looking closely at their products to determine if they have used the pistachios that are under investigation. We will alert our customers to developments as we learn more. At this time, we have no list of specific products affected and cannot answer questions about specific products. (Believe me, we know that is the information you want and we'll get it out there as soon as we hear.)

Some manufacturers may choose to issue a "Pull and Hold" — this means they are asking to have their product pulled off the shelf while they research their ingredients.