Four people have been sickened in two states by salmonella poisoning linked to pistachio cream, a nut butter spread used in desserts and other dishes, federal health officials said Monday.
Three people in Minnesota and one in New Jersey fell ill between March 10 and May 19, including one person who was hospitalized. The outbreak is tied to Emek brand pistachio cream with a use-by date of Oct. 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The spread, which may be packaged in 11-pound (5 kilogram) tubs, was imported from Turkey and sold online to wholesale distributors, restaurants and food service locations nationwide. It has a production code of 241019. The product should not be sold, distributed or served, the CDC said.
Symptoms of salmonella poisoning can occur within hours or days of consuming contaminated food and include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Most people recover within a week, but some can become sick enough to be hospitalized. Young children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk.
From the CDC:
Contaminated food
Emek-brand Pistachio Cream
- Use-by date of October 19, 2026
- Production code (PNO): 241019
- Manufactured by Emek Dogal Saglik Urunleri Iklim Gida Insaat San Tic Ltd Sti in Turkey and imported into the United States.
- Shelf-stable nut butter cream sold online for wholesale distributors, restaurants, and food service locations nationwide.
- May be packaged in a 5-kilogram white tub.
FDA is working to determine if this lot is in distribution or if other lots or products are affected.
What businesses should do
- Do not sell, serve, or distribute Emek-brand pistachio cream with the production code and date above.
- Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with the pistachio cream.
- Follow FDA's safe handling and cleaning recommendations when cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and containers that may have come into contact with products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
What you should do
Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms after eating pistachio cream:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
- Bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up
Symptoms of Salmonella
- Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
- Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
- Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days
- Some people—especially children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
Resource
For more information about Salmonella, see the About Salmonella Infection page.