Wegmans recalls pine nuts for possible salmonella

Posted: 10.27.2011 at 9:42 AM

ROCHESTER (AP) -- Wegmans Food Markets is recalling 5,000 pounds of pine nuts sold in the bulk foods department of its stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland between July 1 and Oct. 18, citing possible salmonella contamination.

The upscale grocery store chain says the pine nuts, imported from Turkey by Sunrise Commodities of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., have been linked to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness from salmonella.

The recall only applies to Turkish pine nuts sold in bulk; the company called some customers who bought them.

The recall was initiated as a result of a multi-state outbreak investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says a total of 42 people have been sickened.

In other news, upscale grocery store chain Wegmans has been hit with federal workplace safety citations carrying potential fines of nearly $200,000.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday accused Wegmans Food Markets Inc. of repeated violations at its corporate bakery and distribution center in Rochester, N.Y. It says Wegmans faces fines totaling $195,200 mainly for inadequate safeguards to prevent machinery from starting up unintentionally during maintenance. It says machines must be completely shut down before workers carry out maintenance.

Wegmans says it immediately tackled most issues raised by inspectors and is reviewing the citations.

Wegmans has 79 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. It was cited in 2007 and 2010 for similar hazards at locations in Rochester.