The number of pistachios and pistachio-containing foods being recalled in Canada because of a possible salmonella risk keeps growing. In the last week and a half alone, more than 80 items have been pulled from shelves.
From Nov. 12 to Nov. 24, a total of 84 products were recalled. These included everything from roasted salted pistachios and raw kernels to pistachio eclairs and baklava.
The affected products were sold in seven provinces — B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador — and some were also sold online.
These recalls are part of an ongoing Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) investigation that began on July 24 with the Habibi brand of pistachio kernels.
The CFIA told Global News on Tuesday that the pistachios involved in the current recalls were imported from Iran. The agency did not say whether they came from a specific crop.
The CFIA says many of the newer recalls are “secondary recalls,” meaning they involve foods made with the recalled pistachios. Extra inspections also helped identify more products that needed to be removed.
At the end of September, the CFIA put a temporary restriction on importing pistachios and pistachio products from Iran. Importers must now prove their pistachios are not from Iran, or the products may be refused or tested for salmonella.
Lawrence Goodridge, a food safety professor at the University of Guelph, said the large number of recalls may be because pistachios are often sold in bulk. Bulk foods usually don’t come with labels, which makes tracing them back much harder.
He also noted that pistachios have a long shelf life, so people may still have potentially contaminated nuts at home that were bought months ago. Some of the recalled pistachios were sold as recently as October 2024.
The CFIA says its investigation includes testing at different points in the supply chain and working with industry to remove recalled products.
“Pistachios have a long shelf life and may remain on the market for many months,” the agency says. “If more affected products are found, we will publish updates and issue new warnings.”
Growing recalls and popularity
Pistachios have become more popular recently, showing up in desserts like Dubai-style chocolate bars and pastries. Cognitive Market Research estimates pistachio sales in Canada could pass $500 million in 2025.
While listing 84 recalled products in one notice is unusual, there have been 68 separate pistachio-related recalls since July — and more than 130 products have been recalled this month alone.
Salmonella outbreak investigation
The Public Health Agency of Canada is also investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to pistachios and foods containing them. So far, 117 people have become sick. Most illnesses were reported between March and late September 2025.
Should Canadians avoid pistachios?
Goodridge says that until the outbreak is under control, it may be safest to avoid pistachios altogether.
“It’s safe to eat pistachios if you know they didn’t come from Iran,” he said. “But realistically, the safest choice right now is to avoid them until the outbreak ends.”
Still, he says people shouldn’t avoid restaurants or stores just because they were involved in a recall. Some businesses may not know the original source of their pistachios.
He recommends asking whether a product contains pistachios and, if so, whether the vendor knows where they came from. From there, consumers can decide whether they feel comfortable eating it.
