A salmonella outbreak in Canada linked to pistachio products continues to cause illness a year after the first cases were reported because of a number of factors making it “difficult to control.”
The first cases were reported in early March 2025. Thirteen months later, the number of illnesses has reached 189, with the majority reported in Ontario and Quebec.
April Hexemer, the director of the outbreak management division at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the shelf life of pistachios, wide distribution of products, and a complex supply chain are keeping the outbreak alive.
“It is an unusual outbreak in many ways,” she said. “We don’t generally see outbreaks last this long, especially after the source has been identified.”
In December, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said the pistachios involved in the recalls were imported from Iran, though did not say if it was linked to a specific crop.
Last September, as a result of the investigation, the CFIA announced it would implement a temporary restriction of imports of pistachios and pistachio-containing products from Iran as a precautionary measure.
Hexemer told Global News the pistachios have a complex supply chain as the product is being sprinkled on pastries, put in chocolate bars or repackaged in numerous ways. She added they’re not being sold under a single brand name.
“Pistachios are very popular now and they are being used in a lot of products,” she said. “We are investigating the newer illnesses to identify what was the cause of their illness. We don’t know and I don’t want to speculate about that until we do those thorough investigations.
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“But our advice at this time remains unchanged: we’re asking people to not eat or use or serve the products that have been recalled.”
Since its previous report on March 13, PHAC reported 11 more lab-confirmed cases. Hexemer added it’s estimated for every lab-confirmed case, there are another 26 illnesses not reported.
A total of 26 people have been hospitalized, with no deaths reported.
The latest update comes as the CFIA continues its own food safety investigation that first started with the Habibi brand of pistachio kernel on July 24.
The agency issued a notice in December to retail and food service businesses warning imported pistachios from Iran may contain salmonella bacteria, advising they check recall lists to confirm no products were impacted. If the origin or food safety control information from the supplier can’t be confirmed, they’ve been advised to discard or return the product.
Businesses have also been advised not to rely on dry heat, such as through roasting, to eliminate salmonella as it can survive in high-fat, low-moisture foods such as pistachios.
Hundreds of pistachios and pistachio-containing products have been recalled since the first in July, with the CFIA consolidating its list starting on Nov. 12 due to the number.
Prior to that date, there had been approximately 46 recall warnings and 22 notifications made between July and November.
From Nov. 12 up to March 16, there were 344 separate products recalled. The brands and where the products were distributed have varied.
While the salmonella outbreak is still ongoing, Hexemer said people can still protect themselves by avoiding pistachios from Iran and if they’re unsure where the product was originally from, to not eat it.
She added while it has been ongoing for some time, the outbreak will eventually come to an end.
“In my experience, all outbreaks do come to an end and I’ve been doing this for a long time, so there will be an end,” she said.
“We just are working to collect that evidence to help us to know what is the next thing that we need to do to bring this to an end.”
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