Updated March 10, 2016 at 10:30 AM 

LOST HILLS, Calif. Wonderful Pistachios announced today that it is voluntarily recalling a limited number of flavors and sizes of in-shell and shelled pistachios due to a risk of Salmonella contamination.

In cooperation with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), on March 9, Wonderful Pistachios directed impacted retailers to remove the specified pistachio products from shelves and advised consumers not to eat and to discard these products.

The pistachios, which were distributed through several retailers, food companies and manufacturers nationwide and in Canada, Mexico and Peru, can be identified by a 13-digit lot code number, which can be found on the lower back or bottom panel of the package.  The specific products and lot codes affected are attached, and only product with these lot codes is subject to recall. 

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella can experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.  In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e. infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. 

Health officials are currently investigating 11 cases in nine states that have been reported in connection with this matter.

Wonderful Pistachios takes food safety matters very seriously and is working closely with health officials to identify the source of the problem.  In an effort to further enhance our food safety program and ensure the health and well being of our consumers, we have, effective immediately, proactively increased our sampling frequencies and lot size testing.  The implementation of these augmented safety protocols further exceeds established industry best practices and bolsters our long-standing commitment to producing the highest quality, most wholesome and safest pistachios in the world. 

Wonderful Pistachios has been growing, harvesting and processing pistachios for 30 years, and this is the first-ever recall associated with this product, and we pride ourselves in our world-class food safety protocols and processing facilities.  To-date, we have invested more than $50 million in our food safety programs, enhanced facility infrastructure, modernized sanitation practices, increased lab testing and validated roasters to minimize the risk of pathogens. 

Consumers may return these products to Wonderful Pistachios for a refund by sending the back or bottom portion of the package that contains the lot code (see samples attached) to Wonderful Pistachios, 13646 Hwy 33, Lost Hills, CA 93249. If consumers prefer, they may return the product to the store from which it was purchased for a refund. Consumers should discard the nuts prior to returning the entire package or lot code panel to their retail store.

Consumers with questions are encouraged to contact (844) 505-3844.

For media inquiries, please contact Steven Clark at (310) 966-3517.