CFIA orders all pistachios from Iran to be tested for salmonella before sale, amid sweeping recalls

As the recall for pistachios from Iran continues to grow, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has implemented new measures to reduce the risk of salmonella infection.

As of Dec. 1, the number of recalled pistachio products due to salmonella has grown to 133, 16 of which were sold in B.C. and 43 sold online.

The CFIA imposed a ban on the import of pistachios from Iran on Sept. 27, and now, all federally licenced importers and manufacturers must hold and test for salmonella any pistachios from Iran that were imported prior to that date before they can be sold.

“This includes any products that were made with pistachios from Iran that are not already recalled,” the CFIA says in a news release.

“This will help protect Canadians from illness and provide consumers with greater reassurance that what they are buying is safe.”

CFIA says the measures are part of the conditions that any business with a Safe Food for Canadians licence must meet and will stay in place during the ongoing food safety investigation.

So far, there have been 155 laboratory-confirmed salmonella infections in Canada, nine of which were in B.C. Of the confirmed cases, 70 per cent of the people were female with ages ranging from one to 95.

There have been 24 hospitalizations across the country, and zero deaths.

“The CFIA will continue to conduct inspection activities to verify compliance,” the CFIA says.

“If all federal requirements are not met, importers and manufacturers could face enforcement actions, such as administrative monetary penalties, licence suspension or cancellation, or prosecution.”

A full list of the recalled products can be found on the food recall warning page.