Press Releases at EMSL

San Leandro, CA, September 20th, 2016  

Contaminated macadamia nuts continues to surface in the news. Just last month, a California company with offices in Stockton and San Francisco announced a product recall due to macadamia nuts possibly contaminated with Salmonella. In February of this year, a Berkley company announced that they were recalling macadamia nuts and products containing them because of the potential for Salmonella contamination.

According to the latest recall notice, testing revealed that a package of the chopped nuts contained Salmonella. This recall impacts several products that were distributed in retail stores nationwide. Consumers who purchased the products are advised to not consume them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Salmonella causes one million foodborne illnesses in the United States, with 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths each year. The agency reports that children are at the highest risk for Salmonella infection, but older adults and people with weakened immune systems are also most likely to have severe infections.

“Outbreaks and food recalls due to Salmonella, which is a type of bacteria that is associated with a number of common foods, happen all too often,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Fortunately, in this case, there have not been any reported cases of infections. However, when people do get sick, there can be serious consequences that include substantial medical and often legal expenses. At EMSL, our network of laboratories provides rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and other analytical methods to help prevent contaminated products from ever reaching the public. These services are instrumental for mitigating these types of risks for those in the food industry and for protecting the public’s health.”

To learn more about testing for foodborne pathogens or other food testing services, please visit www.FoodTestingLab.com or www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@emsl.com.   

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.