Salmonella in macadamia nuts

Nuts have been identified as a vector for salmonellosis. At least 25 recalls were issued in 2015 in the United States due to Salmonella contamination of walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, almonds, and hazelnuts.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted at least a dozen recalls in 2015 involving macadamia nuts, and another three have been announced in 2016. All of this year’s recalls to date involved nuts from Mahina Mele Farm south of Captain Cook. The farm also had a recall in August 2015 of one lot of macadamia nuts and nut butters due to potential Salmonella contamination.

In February 2015, Whole Foods Market is recalling packaged raw macadamia nuts due to possible Salmonella contamination. In August 2016, Diamond brand macadamia nuts distributed to retail stores nationwide are under recall after an FDA-contracted lab confirmed Salmonella in a package of the nuts.

Because macadamia nuts are harvested from ground in orchards where organic fertilisers, eg. chicken manure may have been used, there are concerns for microbial quality of the finished product.

It may be possible for pathogens, eg. Salmonella and environmental spoilers, eg. coliforms and moulds to gain entry to macadamia kernels through occasional natural cracks in shells or by cross-contamination during factory cracking and processing.
Salmonella in macadamia nuts