Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) have issues a recall on Woolworths’ and Flannerys’ private label raw almonds over salmonella contamination.
FSANZ has urged consumers to check their pantries for the raw almonds sold as Woolworths Almond Kernals and Flannerys Own Almonds, supplied by Select Harvests, after almost 30 cases of salmonella were linked to the product.
The potentially dangerous Woolworths almond kernels have best before dates of 05/02/13, 06/04/13, 07/04/13, 12/04/13 and those sold as Flannerys came in 500g and 1kg bags with best before dates between 02/07/13 and 05/10/13.
There have been 27 confirmed or suspected cases of salmonellosis linked to the recalled products throughout Australia.
FSANZ Deputy Chief Executive Officer Melanie Fisher said state, territory and federal government authorities are currently investigating an outbreak.
“There have been two recalls associated with this outbreak, one conducted nationally by Woolworths and one in southeast Queensland by Flannerys ” she said, adding that consumers should check the brand of almonds in their pantry and if the product had been recalled they should either dispose of any remaining product or return packets to the place of purchase for a full refund.
It has also been advised that if consumers have almonds in their pantry in containers and are unsure of the source then they should consider disposing of the product.
“The food recalls were notified earlier this month but we want to ensure consumers are carefully checking their pantries as packaged raw almonds are often bought to use later,” she said.
Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food.
The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days and most people recover within a few days, but the condition can be deadly for children under five years of age, older people and people with weak immune systems.
FSANZ has advised that anyone who has become ill from eating raw almonds should consult a doctor and consumers with the potentially contaminated products should not consume them, but rather dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.