Salmonella outbreak, with 9 hospitalized in Canada, linked to pistachios

Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens more became sick with salmonella in Canada after consuming pistachios or products containing pistachios.

Between early March and mid-July, a total of 52 cases of salmonella were confirmed in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec, according to a notice published this week from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Salmonella is a foodborne bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract.

Many of the people who became infected said they ate pistachios or food with pistachios in it, like Dubai-style chocolate — a chocolate bar with a filling made of pistachios and kadayif, or chopped filo pastry. Those who became sick ranged in age from two to 89 years old. A third of them were female, per the agency.

Dubai-style chocolate bars gained popularity over the summer , with videos of people enjoying the treat showing up on social media. They became so ubiquitous that they were even blamed for causing a global shortage of pistachios, The Guardian reported earlier this year.

Various brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products are linked to 52 Salmonella infections in BC, MB, ON and QC. Do not eat, sell, use or serve recalled products. Read the public health notice for details: https://t.co/xqImapMseI pic.twitter.com/xKTzsMW1b1

— Health Canada and PHAC (@GovCanHealth) August 6, 2025

“The outbreak strains of Salmonella that made people sick were found in samples of the recalled Habibi brand pistachios,”  per the health agency.

Pistachios from Habibi were recalled on July 24 due to salmonella. Five days later, products from Al Mokhtar Food Centre were recalled due to possible contamination. Then, on Aug. 4, pistachio and knafeh milk chocolate bars from the brand Dubai , were also recalled for the same reason.

Although the products were distributed in Ontario and Quebec, some of the items were available for purchase online and some of the recalled pistachios may have also been used in baked goods.

Salmonella may not cause an infected person to feel sick. However, for those who do get sick, symptoms typically start between six to 72 hours after exposure, according to Public Health, and stop after four to seven days. “For this outbreak, the illness reporting period is between 15 and 55 days after illness onset,” the health agency said.

Symptoms include chills, fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps and a sudden headache.

Most people recover on their own, but some require hospitalization. Salmonella can have long-lasting effects on health and can even lead to death.

It can be transmitted from person to person several days or several weeks after infection, even without symptoms.

Those who are most at risk for serious illness are older adults, young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.

Public Health advises individuals, retailers, distributors and other establishments, including grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries and cafes in Canada, to throw out any of the recalled products. They can also be returned to the location where they were purchased.

Those who have been infected with salmonella should not cook food for others, Public Health says.

The agency said the number of Canadians infected is likely much higher than the 52 cases that have been confirmed. Those with mild symptoms who don’t go to the doctor would not be tested, and therefore not included in the data.

For each case of reported salmonella, researchers estimates there are 26 more cases that go unreported.

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