Pasteurized almond rule has raw food fans going nuts

original-fresnobee

Pasteurized almond rule has raw food fans going nuts

By GARANCE BURKE
06/26/07 17:21:07



Raw, organic almonds form the basis of Karyn Calabrese's garlicky nut pate, her vegan pie crusts and vanilla ice cream custards.

But under a new federal rule requiring that virtually all almonds be pasteurized to prevent foodborne illness, the Chicago restaurateur will have to substitute a new nut, or go to vast lengths to import her raw almonds from across the globe.

Industry representatives say tightening food safety rules to subject almonds to heat treatment will help expand the market for California farmers, who grow about 80 percent of the world's almonds in a flat strip of land sandwiched between the Pacific coast and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The regulation, set to take effect Sept. 1, has angered everyone from organic farmers to followers of the restrictive raw foods diet.

"The almond is the king of the nut world and a main staple for raw foodists," said Calabrese, whose elegant restaurants feature small plates of raw, vegan food, none of which has been heated above 110 degrees. "I haven't even thought out what I'll do because it's just such a mind-blowing situation."

Almonds have become increasingly lucrative as they've gained popularity with health-conscious consumers. California farmers expect to harvest 1.3 billion pounds of almonds this year, a bumper crop worth more than $1.4 billion.
~snip~
.
.
.
complete article here

And what diseases would this prevent?

heat pasteurized OR labelled as unpasteurized. So, there you go, just find out how to get the unpasteurized version.

Couldn't they inspect some meat or something???

Following Salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 that were traced to raw almonds, the Almond Board of California rallied for a federal rule requiring all almonds in the state to be pasteurized to keep bacteria from infecting the nuts while they dry in the orchard or while they're processed.

"We consider it unacceptable to continue shipping a product that could contain a microorganism that could make somebody sick," said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the board, a marketing arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "We're really confident that this program is a win-win for everybody because it does not alter the product."

In pasteurization - a process also used for milk, juice and eggs - the shelled and hulled nuts typically are laid out on a conveyor belt that passes them through a moist burst of steam to heat the kernels' surface to about 200 degrees, killing any pathogens present. An alternative process sends the nuts into a chamber where they're sprayed with propylene oxide gas.

(clip)
Growers can apply for exemptions if they can prove that their manufacturing process - be it dry roasting, blanching or any other traditional treatments - achieves pasteurization. They also can sell small quantities of raw, unpasteurized almonds direct to customers at farm stands or at certified California farmers markets, but can face penalties if they're caught selling more than 100 pounds a day to any one person.(more)

No word on how many people were actually sickened. I'm sure dozens of people get salmonella in restaurants every day. Without more info about how many people got sick from the almonds I think the ban sounds like an overreaction.

By destroying the fat-inhibiting enzymes. More culling of the herds.

And follow the money. I am sure they have you and the publics health firmly in their frontal lobes.

Or at least half of it. One outbreak caused 300 sicknesses and one death.

I don't know how this compares to other outbreaks especially in easily polluted industries like poultry, or even the spinach outbreak.

THat's a pretty big claim. You wouldn't happen to have a citation, would you?

But they attack raw almonds..

How many people were sickened by raw almonds last year? And how come California almond growers just keep a percentage of their nuts raw rather than roasted?

Just wondering

I'm kind of torn. Apparently, pasteurization is one way to rid almonds of harmful bacteria. I prefer heat over a chemical solution. I dunno. So, we're saying that the other nutritional benefits stay the same? Still low in cholesteral, high in monounsaturated fat and fiber?

Hard to kill them.

Enzymes are protein molecules.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme

it was the California GROWERS not the gummint that pushed for pasteurization so they could expand their markets.

Any place else they grow almonds?

problems in raw almonds. NOT a good thing.

What no one seems to be asking is: WHY THE HELL are raw almonds contaminated with Salmonella in the first place? And what is being done to get at the source of contamination to PREVENT it, rather than treating and hoping you kill enough of it that nobody dies??

to mandate pasteurization for cider producers.
In that case, small family farms who use long standing and scrupulous practices (no dropped fruit, which can be contaminated) in the manufacture of their product may be facing going out of business in some cases because of the high price of the equipment. The large corporations have been driving that shift. Only read about the cider issue because I'd been to France and was wondering why I couldn't find fantastic local cidre here in Washington state - it seems like it would do well here.
Don't know if there's any kind of connection driving this, but in both cases the large corporations benefit and the small ones do not.