--- title: Almond recall grows; nut processor is sued date: 2007-12-27T00:34:51-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/almond-recall-grows-nut-processor-is-sued-2" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # Almond recall grows; nut processor is sued ## The FDA says more outlets are likely affected by the Kern County product. **Mike Lee -- Fresno Bee Staff Writer** *May 25, 2004* A prominent Seattle food-safety attorney filed suit Monday against a Kern County nut processor whose raw almonds are the target of a greatly expanded product recall. The Food and Drug Administration says nuts potentially tainted by salmonella bacteria likely are in a wider array of packages and stores than first announced. "More labels and more (brand) names will be coming out," said Jack Guzewich, director of emergency response in FDA's food-safety division. "It's not done yet." The FDA has tentatively linked 18 cases of food poisoning to raw almonds from Paramount Farms of Lost Hills in Kern County, the state's largest almond grower. Potentially related illnesses still are being investigated. The FDA said Paramount's raw almonds may be contaminated with salmonella, bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children and others with weak immune systems. Symptoms include fever, vomiting and abdominal pain. Over the weekend, Paramount expanded its recall to 13 million pounds from 5 million pounds. It also said that it immediately would start pasteurizing all almonds before they are shipped. "We have taken what we consider to be very aggressive and precautionary measures to assure customers of the integrity of our products," said Paramount spokesman Chris Tuffli. Costco Wholesale Inc. on Monday mailed recall warnings to 780,000 members nationwide who bought almonds in recent months. Next up for the giant wholesaler: alerting international customers who also may have tainted almonds. Some of the raw nuts were shipped to Mexico, Japan and six other countries, the FDA said. Guzewich at the FDA said the food safety problem was discovered using an Internet-based reporting system for state health agencies. By tracking the salmonella's bacterial "fingerprint," health experts were able to link a handful of illnesses in Oregon, then connect those to cases in Utah, Alaska, Arizona and Washington. On Monday, Marler Clark LLP filed the first food-poisoning suit against Paramount in federal district court in Spokane. The complaint said members of a Kennewick, Wash., family were hospitalized with salmonella-related illnesses after eating Paramount's almonds purchased at Costco. The suit didn't specify how much the family is seeking in damages. "There have been prior incidences of salmonella-tainted almonds that have led to illnesses and recalls," said William Marler, attorney for the family, in a statement. "Paramount Farms should have known this and taken appropriate precautions to make sure it didn't happen again." Tuffli, the Paramount spokesman, said he hadn't seen the lawsuit and that it would be premature to comment. Paramount's raw almonds initially were reported to have been sold under three brands: Sunkist, Trader Joe's and Kirkland, which is distributed by Costco. The FDA says customers who bought any raw almonds with those labels marked with a "best before" date of August, 21, 2004, or later should check with the store where they bought them to see if the nuts came from Paramount. Paramount's customer hotline is (800) 496-5168. Roasted, blanched, slivered and sliced almonds are not part of the recall because the processing kills bacteria. Trader Joe's said last week that it had destroyed its potentially dangerous almonds. Costco said nuts in its Sacramento-area stores came from a different processor. The Sunkist-labeled almonds were sold nationwide but in very small quantities. ### Other Salmonella Lawsuits [64 with Salmonella tied to Oysters](https://marlerclark.com/64-with-salmonella-tied-to-oysters) [Vega Farms Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 63](https://marlerclark.com/vega-farms-salmonella-outbreak-sickens-63) [Green Supplement causes Salmonella Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/green-supplement-causes-salmonella-outbreak) [Salmonella Outbreak tied to Metabolic Meals](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-outbreak-tied-to-metabolic-meals) [Kentucky Salmonella outbreak linked to Ramsey’s Diners and Missy’s Pies](https://marlerclark.com/kentucky-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-ramseys-diners-and-missys-pies) [Salmonella Egg Outbreak sickens 63 in California](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-egg-outbreak-sickens-63-in-california) [Cucumbers with Salmonella - Again](https://marlerclark.com/cucumbers-with-salmonella-again) [Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant Linked to Salmonella Outbreak in San Diego - 89 Sick](https://marlerclark.com/aladdin-mediterranean-restaurant-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak-in-san-diego) [Italian Pastries tied to illnesses in the US and Canada](https://marlerclark.com/italian-pastries-tied-to-illnesses-in-the-us-and-canada) [Cucumbers sicken 100 in 23 States with Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/cucumbers-sicken-68-in-19-states-with-salmonella) [Madre’s Oaxacan Restaurant linked to Salmonella Outbreak - 44 Sick](https://marlerclark.com/madres-oaxacan-restaurant-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak) [Salmonella Outbreak linked to Cucumbers sickens 551 in 31 States](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-cucumbers-sickens-162-in-25-states) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all) [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all) [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all) [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all) [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all) [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all) [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all) [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all) [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all) [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all) ### Lawsuits updates by year [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Salmonella Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/about-salmonella) What is Salmonella and how does it cause food poisoning? The term Salmonella refers to a specific group of gram-negative bacteria with the potential to cause gastrointestinal distress and other... ###### [The Incidence of Salmonella Infections](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-incidence-of-salmonella-infections) Typhoidal Salmonella Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi, Sendai, and Paratyphi A, B, or C are found exclusively in humans. These serotypes, collectively referred to as typhoidal Salmonella, cause enteric fever (also... ###### [The Prevalence of Salmonella in Food and Elsewhere](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-prevalence-of-salmonella-in-food-and-elsewhere) Most Salmonella infections are caused by eating contaminated food. One study found that 87% of all confirmed cases of Salmonella are foodborne. Foods of animal origin, including meat, poultry, eggs... ###### [Transmission of Salmonella Bacteria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/transmission-of-salmonella-bacteria) In the past two decades, consumption of produce, especially sprouts, tomatoes, fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and nut butters, has been associated with Salmonella illnesses. The surface of fruits and vegetables... ###### [Symptoms of Salmonella Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-symptoms-risks) Symptoms of Salmonella infection include painful abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Salmonella infections can have a broad range of illness, from no symptoms to severe illness. The most common clinical... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)