FSANZ deputy chief executive Melanie Fisher said state, territory and federal government authorities in Australia have been investigating an outbreak of Salmonella gastroenteritis associated with some batches of raw almonds.
“There have been two recalls associated with this outbreak, one conducted nationally by Woolworths, and one in southeast Queensland by Flannerys,” Fisher said.
The products recalled were supplied by Select Harvests and sold as Woolworths Almond Kernels with best before dates of February 5 and April 6, 7 and 12; and as Flannerys Own Almonds in 500g and 1kg zip-lock sealed pouches with best before dates between July 2 October 5, 2013.
Fisher advised consumers to check the brand of any almonds in their pantry; if the product has been recalled they should either dispose of it or return packets to the place of purchase for a full refund. If consumers have almonds in their pantry and are unsure of the source then they should consider disposing of them.
“The food recalls were notified earlier this month but we want to ensure consumers are carefully checking their pantries as packaged raw almonds are often bought to use later,” she said.
Twenty-seven confirmed or suspected cases of salmonellosis linked to the recalled products have been reported across six states and territories.