The FDA announced today that the Georgia Nut Company is recalling certain bulk wholesale and retail products containing shelled pistachio nuts that have the potential to be contaminated with the Salmonella organism. The Company said it identified the potential as a result of a rigorous sampling and testing regimen it conducted with respect to shelled pistachios provided by a third-party supplier.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis.

The voluntary recall includes the following products:

* Bulk Deluxe Mixed Nuts with shelled pistachios purchased at the Not Just Nuts store in Wauwatosa, WI from Dec. 5, 2008 through March 24, 2009;
* Bulk or custom packaged Deluxe Mixed Nuts with shelled pistachios purchased at Georgia Nut retail stores in Skokie and Glenview, IL, Georgia Nut’s Chocolate House location in Greenfield, WI, and through the Company’s website from Dec 11, 2008 through March 23, 2009;
* Bulk or custom packaged Dry Roasted Shelled Pistachios purchased at Georgia Nut retail stores in Skokie and Glenview, IL, Georgia Nut’s Chocolate House location in Greenfield, WI, and through the Company’s website from Dec 3, 2008 through March 23, 2009;
* Mixed Nuts Deluxe Roasted and Salted Bulk with shelled pistachios purchased from clear plastic bulk bins in the produce department at Dominick’s Finer Foods stores in the greater Chicagoland area from Dec. 10, 2008 through March 25, 2009.