The Setton/Pistachio plot thickens. On March 30, 2009, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc announced that it was voluntarily recalling pistachios due to potential contamination with Salmonella. According to the company, it took this “voluntarily” measure after learning that roasted shelled pistachios it processed and sold to a commercial customer in late 2008 tested positive for Salmonella.
The FDA is now investigating Setton International Foods Inc. of Commack, N.Y. which is a company related to Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. It’s been reported that officials at the New York plant said they had stopped shipping pistachios and addressed health and safety problems found inside the plant.
Last month, according to reports, New York agricultural authorities discovered nearly two dozen dead cockroaches, rodent droppings and one live cockroach inside the New York plant. The plant failed its state health inspection and, according to reports, inspectors recently went back to swab the plant and take food samples to be tested for salmonella and other pathogens. Test results are pending, so stay tuned.
