Cashews

The most recent recall conducted by the grocery chain is one involving a certain package of cashews. If you bought cashews from Trader Joe’s, you’ll want to examine the package carefully to check if they’re part of a newly announced recall by the company.

We’re talking about Trader Joe’s 50% less salt Roasted & Salted Whole Cashews, a product believed to be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause severe sickness, even death. The announcement was made by the US Food and Drug Administration on March 18.

The packs were supplied to Trader Joe’s by Wenders LLC of Dublin, CA, and can be found in 16 states across the country, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, Tennessee, and Texas.

The FDA experts said that no illnesses have been reported due to this food item. However they advise consumers not to consume any of the product and to return it to any Trader Joe’s store to get a full refund.

The recalled cashews have the following best-before dates and lot numbers: Best Before Feb 21 2025-Lot No: T12139; Best Before Mar 01 2025-Lot No: T12140; Best Before Mar 08 2025-Lot No: T12141; Best Before Mar 10 2025-Lot No: T12142.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can make people very sick and even cause death. Experts say people who have a Salmonella infection generally present with symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.

Without antibiotics, some Salmonella infections can go away in about a week. However, this type of infection can also cause severe illness and even death, particularly in adults over the age of 65, infants, and people who are immunocompromised.

The recalled cashews were sold in Trader Joe’s stores in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Colorado, California, Kansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington State.

By the way, if you want to try a different brand of cashews, Amazon has plenty of options, and you can check them out here.

Who keeps an eye on food safety in the US?

Two government agencies are responsible for overseeing food safety in our country. And while one has somewhat close oversight over food items within its jurisdiction, the other isn’t required to be so meticulous. That gives problems the chance to arise.

Food Safety and Inspection, a branch of the US Department of Agriculture, oversees egg and meat products and does continuous inspections of plants where these food products are made. The Food and Drug Administration oversees everything else, which translates to the wide majority of the US food supply—almost 80% of all the products Americans produce. However, the FDA only conducts inspections once every three to five years.

That means that the FDA simply doesn’t have the power to identify issues with most of the food it supervises before it hits store shelves. As a result, issues with much of our food supply are only discovered when a manufacturer or a consumer notices them.

Waiting for a problem to happen to take action is a pretty passive approach to something that could have serious health consequences for consumers. When a product causes a health issue, it can destroy the public’s trust in food producers. So food distributors are incentivized to intervene more when it comes to food safety than what’s required by the FDA.

For that reason, many grocery stores and other food retailers hire independent companies to check the safety practices of their suppliers. These companies, also known as third-party auditors, have the job of ensuring suppliers adhere to certain global food safety standards.

The main idea here is that, to some degree, it’s up to the food retailer—Trader Joe’s in this case—to set the safety standards they require their food suppliers to meet.

If you liked our article, you may also want to read 4 Things to Eat and Drink After Food Poisoning.