Salmonella poisoning linked to pistachio cream sickens 4 in Minnesota and New Jersey

Key Points

• Four people in Minnesota and New Jersey fell ill with salmonella poisoning linked to Emek brand pistachio cream, including one hospitalization between March 10 and May 19.
• The contaminated spread, imported from Turkey, bears a use-by date of Oct. 19 and production code 241019, and is sold in 11-pound tubs to wholesale distributors, restaurants and food service outlets.
• The CDC warns that the product should not be sold, distributed or served and is advising a recall of all tubs matching the date and code.
• Salmonella symptoms—diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps—can appear within hours to days, with young children, people over 65 and immunocompromised individuals at highest risk.

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.

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