In mid December of last year, Wllimatte Filbert Growers of Oregon issued a massive recall of Hazelnuts after nut samples tested positive for Salmonella. Soon after the first recall, a domino effect of recalls flooded the FDA’s food safety website. What initially looked like a simple recall involving two states (Oregon and California) quickly emerged as a massive recall involving every line of distribution from small sellers supplying local farmers markets to national food supermarket chains with business in dozens of states.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with contaminated hazelnuts but that statistic is only representative of people who would have sought medical treatment for Salmonella infection, been diagnosed with salmonellosis, subsequently had the Salmonella correctly genetically identified and reported the foodborne illness to the proper authorities, who in turn would have been responsible to link the food poisoning back to the source. This unfortunately is not the typical scenario. The CDC estimates that for every reported case of salmonellosis there are about 38 that go unrecognized or unreported.
Anytime a contaminated food product makes it into distribution, it is difficult to protect the end consumer from foodborne illness or any of foodborne illness’s tragic complications. When the product is sold without UPC or barcodes, it becomes even more difficult to accurately trace and recover these products if a recall is issued. Hopefully, no one has fallen ill from these contaminated hazelnuts, but when contaminated products make it just about everywhere in the food supply chain, it becomes very difficult to protect you and your family.
Below is an accumulated list of the Hazelnut recalls and the company’s and states involved.
Hazelnut kernels were sold in November and December 2009 at Lenny’s North, Seattle, WA and six 1 lb. bags were sold at the Sunset Produce Stand in Banks, OR.
The product is packed in 1 lb plastic bags closed with a twist-tie, with a label reading:
The following products sold between Nov. 2, 2009 and Dec. 16, 2009 have been recalled from Market of Choice stores in Eugene, Ashland, SW Portland and West Linn, Oregon:
The recalled products above do not contain any UPC or Lot codes.
The shelled hazelnuts that are subject to recall were sold Nov. 17th to Dec. 13th at the Olympia Farmer’s Market in Olympia, WA. They were packed in 8 oz and 16 oz zip lock plastic bags. This recall does not apply to hazelnuts sold in the shell.
The Harry & David Country Village store removed all the raw, shelled hazelnuts supplied by Evonuk from sale on December 17, 2009. This was done in response to a recall issued on December 17, 2009, by Willamette Sheller, Inc., the company that processed the hazelnuts for Evonuk.
The hazelnuts affected by this recall were sold as Filbert (hazelnut) kernels in bulk bin #10077 only at the Harry & David Country Village store, Medford, Oregon, prior to December 18, 2009.
After product sampling, Salmonellawas found on one production lot at Willamette Shelling, of Newberg, OR, the facility where Evonuk Oregon Hazelnut’s hazelnuts kernels were shelled. Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts has decided to recall all raw and dry roasted hazelnut kernels delivered or shipped by Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts from November 2nd 2009 through December 4th 2009.
Evonuk Oregon Hazelnuts brand raw hazelnut kernels and dry roasted hazelnut kernels subject to recall include:
These raw and dry roasted products were distributed in retail and wholesale stores, restaurants and bakeries in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Oklahoma and New Jersey.
Whole Foods Market recalled organic raw hazelnuts (filberts) sold in bulk through its stores in California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington because the nuts were part of a batch that was contaminated with salmonella. The company is also recalling non-organic dry roasted hazelnuts (filberts) sold in bulk through its stores in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, and non-organic raw hazelnuts (filberts) sold in bulk through its stores in Oregon and Washington. These hazelnuts should not be consumed.
Hazelnut kernels were distributed to several different processors and wholesaler’s in the following areas: Dayton, OR; , Milton-Freewater, OR; Hauppauge, NY; Mesa, AZ; Cottonwood, AZ; Seattle, WA; Ogden, UT; San Antonio, TX.; and Parker, CO.
The product was packed in 25 lb cartons, under our product brand name of Kunze Farms, ‘Select Shelled Hazelnuts’ Dayton, Oregon with the code numbers 289091A or 299091A.
After product sampling, Salmonellawas found on one production lot at the facility where Willamette Filbert Grower’s hazelnuts were shelled. To ensure consumer safety, Willamette Filbert Growers has decided to recall all shelled hazelnuts and shelled organic hazelnuts processed from October 12th 2009 through November 25th 2009.
Shelled Hazelnuts and Shelled Organic Hazelnuts were distributed in Oregon and California through wholesale distributors and direct delivery. Unshelled hazelnuts are not subject to this recall.
All products subject to recall were packed in 25 lbs. corrugated boxes bearing Willamette Filbert Growers or Meridian Organic Hazelnuts labeled with lot code numbers 289091A and 311091A.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
