Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Pistachios - 155 Illnesses, 24 Hospitalizations

December 2, 2025: Update

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 2, 2025 /CNW/ -

At a glance

Do not consume, use, sell, serve or distribute recalled pistachios and pistachio-containing products. Refer to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) Food Safety Investigation page for a list of recalled products.

Consider alternatives to pistachios from Iran and products made with pistachios from Iran, due to possible Salmonella contamination.

| Outbreak details | |
| Illnesses | 155 |
| Provinces and territories with illnesses (number of illnesses) | - British Columbia (9)
- Alberta (7)
- Manitoba (3)
- Ontario (58)
- Quebec (77)
- New Brunswick (1) |
| Hospitalizations | 24 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Gender | 70% female |
| Age range | 1 to 95 |
| Food Recall | Yes

Food Safety Investigation: Various brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination |
| Investigation status | Active |
Recalled food

Recalls have been published for pistachios and pistachio-containing products from various brands. Refer to the CFIA's Food Safety Investigation page for a list of recalled products.

An advisory has been issued to consumers to consider alternatives to pistachios from Iran and products made with pistachios from Iran, due to possible Salmonella contamination.

For the latest information on recalls and advisories, refer to the Recalls and safety alerts website.

Some provinces and territories may carry out their own food safety investigations and issue additional recall notices.

The province of Quebec (in French only), through the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) has also issued several food recall warnings on pistachio-containing products.

How to protect your health

Salmonellosis is a foodborne bacterial illness that can affect anyone exposed to a contaminated food product.

People who are infected with Salmonella bacteria can spread Salmonella to other people several days to several weeks after they have become infected, even if they don't have symptoms.

The following advice applies to individuals, as well as retailers, distributors and food service establishments such as grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries and cafes across Canada:

• Pistachios have a long shelf life, so products purchased months ago may still be in your home or business.
• Check recall listings to see if your product is affected.
  • Compare product details (brand, product name and size, UPC and codes) with recall notices.
• Do not consume, serve, use, sell or distribute recalled products or use them in cooking or baking--heat may not kill Salmonella in pistachios.
• Throw out or return recalled products to the place of purchase.
• Consumers or establishments who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled products are advised to contact their retailer or supplier where the products were purchased.
• If you have pistachio products that are not part of a recall:
  • Check the label for the country of origin. Pistachios from countries other than Iran are not affected.
  • It's safest to avoid the product if the country of origin can't be confirmed.
  • It's safest to avoid the product if they are from Iran.
• Not all pistachio-containing products have labels indicating where each ingredient comes from. Some ingredients may come from countries other than where the product was made.
• Do not cook food for other people if you've been diagnosed with a Salmonella infection or any other gastrointestinal illness.
• Contact your health care provider if you think you're experiencing symptoms of Salmonella. Most people who become ill from a Salmonella infection will recover fully after a few days without treatment, but it can also cause severe illness and hospitalization.

Those at higher risk for serious illness include:

• older adults
• young children
• people who are pregnant
• people with weakened immune systems Symptoms

Salmonellosis has a wide range of symptoms. You may not get sick at all. However, if you do get sick, symptoms usually start within 6 to 72 hours after exposure.

You may experience:

• chills
• a fever
• nausea
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• stomach cramps
• a sudden headache Most symptoms end within 4 to 7 days.

While most people recover completely on their own, some people may have a more serious illness that:

• requires hospital care
• may lead to long-lasting health effects or death Salmonellosis (Salmonella)

Food safety for vulnerable populations

Investigation summary

There are 155 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella Agona, Salmonella Anatum, Salmonella Bareilly, Salmonella Branderup, Salmonella Corvallis, Salmonella Havana, Salmonella Kottbus, Salmonella Mbandaka, Salmonella Meleagridis, Salmonella Ohio, Salmonella Senftenberg, and Salmonella Tennessee illnesses linked to this outbreak in:

• British Columbia (9)
• Alberta (7)
• Manitoba (3)
• Ontario (58)
• Quebec (77)
• New Brunswick (1) People became sick between early March and mid November 2025. Of the cases reported, 24 people have been hospitalized and there have been no deaths. People who became sick are between 1 and 95 years of age. The majority of sick individuals are female (70%).

Many people who became sick reported eating pistachios, and products containing pistachios, such as Dubai -style chocolate and pastry products. The outbreak strains of Salmonella that made people sick were found in samples of recalled pistachios and samples of the recalled Dubai -style chocolate. The investigation is ongoing and it is possible that additional sources may be identified.

More recent illnesses may continue to be reported because there is a period between when a person becomes sick and when the illness is reported to public health officials. It can take more than a month from the time someone gets sick, sees a doctor, gets tested, and has their results confirmed. For this outbreak, the illness reporting period is between 12 and 99 days after illness onset.

This notice only includes laboratory-confirmed cases. The actual number of sick people in Canada is likely much higher. Many people have mild symptoms and don't go to the doctor, so they aren't tested. Researchers estimate that for each case of Salmonella reported to public health, there are 26 more cases that are not reported.

Related links

• Food Safety Investigation: Various brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination
• Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) (French only)
• Recalls and safety alerts
• Risks of salmonellosis (Salmonella)
• Safe food handling practices
• Email subscription service for Public Health Notices
• Recall subscription service SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Contact us: Public Health Agency of Canada, Media Relations, Telephone: 613-957-2983, Email: media@hc-sc.gc.ca; Public inquiries, Telephone: 1-866-225-0709 (toll-free), Email: info@hc-sc.gc.ca

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