The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assigned its highest risk alert to 32,670 pounds of pecans sold in five states and internationally due to potential bacterial contamination.
The pecans were distributed in Texas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Jersey, as well as internationally in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, and Italy.
"Level 1 recalls are done out of an abundance of caution because the consumption of the product could cause serious health issues, or even death. Other recall classifications are more associated with temporary illness or minor effects on health," Mendocino Food Consulting founder Bryan Quoc Le told NTD.
Company leaders did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Various packages of Fancy Medium Pecan Pieces, Fancy Midget Pecan Pieces, Fancy Small Pecan Pieces, Fancy Jr. Mammoth Pecan Halves, Fancy Topper Pecan Halves, Fancy Topper HLVS/Med Pcs Blend, Fancy Jumbo Pecan Halves, Fancy Ex-Lrg/Jumbo Pecan Halves, and Fancy Large Pecan Pieces are under recall.
Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
"Salmonella is especially dangerous because it doesn’t just make people sick," Northeastern University professor, food safety expert, and Alliance for Recall Ready Communities adviser Darin Detwiler, told NTD. "This pathogen sends thousands to the hospital every year and can be deadly, especially for the most vulnerable: young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems."
A Class 2 recall is for products that might cause temporary or reversible health issues, but where the risk of serious harm is lower, and Class 3 recalls involve products that violate regulations but are unlikely to cause health problems, such as minor labeling errors, according to Detwiler.