The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has significantly expanded a major food recall, with the list of affected pistachio products now surpassing 300 items. This ongoing action is linked to an investigation into a salmonella outbreak that has raised serious food safety concerns across the country.
The Scope of the Recall
What began as a more limited advisory has grown into one of the year's most extensive food recalls. The CFIA is urging consumers, retailers, and distributors to check their pantries and shelves for a wide array of pistachio-containing goods. The recalled products are not limited to bags of nuts alone; they include various snack mixes, baked goods, confections, and other items where pistachios are an ingredient.
The agency published the updated recall list on December 24, 2025. The continuous expansion of the list indicates the complexity of the supply chain and the broad distribution of the potentially contaminated raw pistachios to numerous food manufacturers and brands.
Understanding the Salmonella Risk
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
The CFIA's recall is a Class I recall, which is the most serious type. This classification means there is a high risk that consuming the affected products could lead to severe health consequences or death. The outbreak investigation is ongoing, and the agency is working with public health partners to determine the source of the contamination and whether there are any linked illnesses.
What Consumers Need to Do
Food safety officials are advising Canadians to take immediate action. First, do not consume any of the recalled pistachio products. Second, either throw the items out or return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund.
To check if a product is part of the recall, consumers should:
- Visit the CFIA's official website for the most up-to-date list of recalled products, which includes brand names, product descriptions, lot codes, and UPCs.
- Carefully inspect any product containing pistachios in their home, regardless of when it was purchased.
- When in doubt, err on the side of caution and dispose of the product.
The CFIA has stated that it is verifying that industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace. The agency's investigation may lead to further recalls as new information becomes available.
This massive recall serves as a critical reminder for all Canadians to stay informed about food safety alerts and to act promptly when a recall is announced to protect themselves and their families from foodborne illness.
