Salmonella Poisoning Outbreak Leads to Wegmans Turkish Pine Nut Recall

An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has led to the recall of about 5,000 pounds of Wegmans Turkish pine nuts. 

The Wegmans Pine Nuts recall was announced by the FDA on October 26, after an investigation into a salmonella poisoning outbreak was tracked back to the nuts. The outbreak has sickened at least 38 people in six states.

Wegmans, a chain of high-end grocery stores, has sent out automated calls to 13,000 customers that purchased the nuts using their Shoppers Club discount card, warning them that the nuts may be dangerous and not to eat them. To date, there have been 26 illnesses reported in New York, eight people reported ill in Pennsylvania, four in Virginia, two in New Jersey, one in Maryland and one in Arizona. The FDA, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health agencies are investigating the salmonella contamination.

The recall affects Turkish Pine Nuts sold in the Bulk Foods department of Wegmans stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland between July 1 and October 18, 2011. The nuts were imported from Turkey by Sunrise Commodities of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Salmonella, also known as salmonellosis, is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States, producing symptoms like high fever, persistent diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, severe abdominal cramps and pain. The first symptoms usually begin to surface between 12 hours and 3 days after consuming the salmonella infected food.

For most healthy adults, salmonella symptoms pass within a few days to a week. However, in some cases severe illness can persist for longer and lead to more serious health problems. Those who are most susceptible to serious injury include the elderly, infants and those with chronic conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes or weak immune systems.

The FDA and Wegmans recommend that consumers who purchased the nuts dispose of them and visit the Wegmans service desk for a full refund. Consumers with questions can contact Wegmans consumer affairs at (800) 934-6267.

Image Courtesy of Katpjotr via Wikimedia Commons from Public Domain