Tips for managing food recalls and preventing foodborne illnesses
Approximately 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from preventable foodborne diseases each year.
Payton, USA Today
The pistachio cream tub has been recalled after nearly half a dozen people reported getting sick with Salmonella infections, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Emek-Brand Pistachio Cream is a product sold online at wholesale distributors, restaurants and foodservice locations nationwide, and is linked to the outbreak of salmonella in at least two states.
This product is a nut butter spread used in desserts containing ice cream, manufactured by the Turkish Emek Dogal Saglik Urunleri Iklim Gida Insaat San Tic Ltd STI and imported to the US.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working with state and local partners to investigate multi-stage outbreaks.
As of May 19, three of them reported that four people from one North Central state had become ill after eating the affected product, the FDA wrote in an updated June 13 post. The FDA said it was working to determine whether other lots or products from this company could be affected.
Here’s what you need to know about cream recalls:
Which state has people become ill due to the recalled pistachio cream?
So far, people from two states have reported getting sick from their products, according to the FDA and CDA.
- Minnesota (3 people)
- New Jersey (one person)
Which pistachio cream is being recalled?
The FDA recalls the Emek-Brand Pistachio cream packaged in a 5-kilogram white bathtub.
The recalled cream has a date of use on October 9, 2026 and a production code of 241019 (PNO:).
How many people have gotten sick from the recalled pistachio cream?
According to its online post, the FDA was notified by the Minnesota Department of Health about “clusters of salmonella disease and two positive salmonella samples consistent with clinical cases (WGS) by whole genome sequencing (WGS) at the time of this outbreak.”
As of June 13th, four cases of salmonella had been reported from two states. Of these cases, all four reported eating pistachio cream, the FDA said, and three of the four cases reported eating pistachio cream in the same restaurant.
One of the people who consumed the affected cream had to be hospitalized, the FDA said.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is a creature that can cause serious and fatal infections in children, the elderly and other people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.
Most people infected with salmonella begin to develop symptoms 12-72 hours after eating contaminated products. The main symptoms are diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
Most people recover without treatment, but in rare circumstances, the CDC says infection may require hospitalization. Pregnant women are also at a higher risk of developing an infection through IT and should see a doctor if symptoms develop.
Consumers experiencing illness due to affected products should contact their healthcare provider to report symptoms and report them for medical care.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter at USA Today. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at x @nataliealund.
