Yesterday, April 3, 2011, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Amira Enterprises Inc., a distributor of dried fruits and nuts based in St. Laurent, Quebec, warned the public not to eat certain bulk and prepackaged raw shelled walnut products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The company announced that it was recalling Amira Enterprises brand walnuts that had been imported from the U.S. and available for purchase starting January 1, 2011. The CFIA reports that the nuts were distributed in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and possibly other locations throughout the nation. Consumers should be aware that the recall list includes the following products:

  • Amira, raw, shelled walnuts sold from a bulk bin;
  • walnut.bmpAmira, prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (halves/pieces/crumbs);
  • Tia, prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (halves/pieces/crumbs);
  • Merit Selection, prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (halves/pieces/crumbs);
  • Amira, mistral mix containing walnuts;
  • Tia, mistral Mix containing walnuts;
  • Amira, salad booster containing walnuts;
  • Tia, salad booster containing walnuts.

Unfortunately, raw walnut products sold in bulk form may not be marked with the brand name. CFIA is advising consumers who have purchased walnuts from bulk bins to contact the retailer directly to determine if they have the affected product.

The recall was prompted by a multi-provincial outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses. The Public health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is currently investigating the outbreak along with provincial health authorities and the CFIA.

An E. coli infection can be a potentially life-threatening illness. Typically, severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea will be the first manifestations of the infection. To learn more about E. coli, visit the informational website, http://www.about-ecoli.com/, sponsored by Marler Clark.

For more information, consumers and industry can contact Amira Enterprises Inc. at 1-877-383-9823 or info@amira.ca or the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday.

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Photo of Claire Mitchell Claire Mitchell

Claire received her J.D. degree from Hofstra University School of Law with a concentration in Energy and the Environment in May 2010. She received her B.A., majoring in English, from Villanova University, magna cum laude. During law school, Claire served as Articles Editor…

Claire received her J.D. degree from Hofstra University School of Law with a concentration in Energy and the Environment in May 2010. She received her B.A., majoring in English, from Villanova University, magna cum laude. During law school, Claire served as Articles Editor for the Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal, was elected President of the Legal Emergency Aid Project and elected Treasurer of Hofstra Law Women. She is currently pursuing an LL.M. degree in Food and Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law. In August 2010, Claire was selected as the recipient of the Marler Clark Graduate Assistantship, part of a new public/private partnership that will allow the University of Arkansas School of Law to partner with leaders in the food and agricultural legal communities. Although she began the LL.M. Program in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Claire is now living in Seattle in order to devote more time to her work at Marler Clark and is completing her LL.M. degree through distance learning. In addition to her academic and professional commitments, Claire blogs on Food Poison Journal and has been published in the Food and Drug Law Institute’s Update and the American Agricultural Law Association’s Update.