Pistachio Salmonella Recall May Involve Long Island Company

A routine inspection by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets turned up 30 rodent droppings, nearly two dozen dead cockroaches, and two live ones at a Long Island plant that produces a range of chocolate-coated items, including almonds, pistachios, raisins and peanuts. But the company, Setton Foods International, was permitted to continue shipping its products through March because the live roaches were successfully killed during the inspection, Newsday reports.

Shipments have since ceased, and the company is now planning a voluntary recall of some products after inspectors showed up at the plant on Wednesday to test for salmonella and other pathogens. The company's California affiliate, Setton Pistachio, is already recalling more than 2 million pounds of the nuts because four strains of salmonella were traced to its plant. That division is the country's second-largest pistachio processor, supplying companies like Kraft Foods, which on Tuesday announced a recall of some Planters and Back to Nature products.

The FDA says several illnesses have been reported, and expects the pistachio recall to effect a wide array of products which use Setton's nuts as ingredients. According to the FDA's recall twitter, Eillien’s Candies, Inc. has just issued a recall on their products which use Setton pistachios. But a spokesman for Setton insists to Newsday that the Long Island plant's violations are unrelated to the California recall. And production manager Lee Cohen tells the Post the plant has since cleaned up its act since the unfortunate rat poop and roach incident: "You can eat off the ground, it is so spotless."