December 2, 2025
Imported pistachios originating from Iran, as well as food products made with Iranian pistachios, are linked to an ongoing Salmonella outbreak investigation in Canada, and to several related recalls.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) implemented new control measures for Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence holders. These include a temporary import restriction (effective Sept 27, 2025) and updated licence conditions for food businesses that import Iranian pistachio products and those that prepare products in Canada using these Iranian pistachios:
- Regulatory requirements and licence conditions for importing pistachio products (December 2, 2025)
- Regulatory requirements and licence conditions related to pistachios originating from Iran that were shipped to Canada before September 27, 2025
Retail and food service businesses play a key role in preventing contaminated product from reaching consumers. This includes businesses such as:
- grocery and convenience stores
- bakeries
- chocolatiers
- ice creameries
- hotels
- restaurants
- institutional food services
- other businesses that use pistachios as an ingredient
Your regulatory responsibilities
Retail and food service businesses must sell and serve food that is safe. Consumers rely on you to offer products that meet Canada's food safety standards. Consider the following guidance.
- If you have pistachios originating from Iran in your possession, care or control:
- Check recall lists to confirm that none of your products have been recalled. If they have been recalled, you must not sell or serve these products.
- Sign up for CFIA recall notifications to stay informed about issues affecting pistachio products.
- Source only from trusted suppliers who provide clear evidence that Salmonella is not present in their pistachio product(s). Confirm with your supplier whether the pistachio products were sourced from a SFC licenced food business that is meeting the licence condition requirements, including testing in Canada: Regulatory requirements and licence conditions related to pistachios originating from Iran that were shipped to Canada before September 27, 2025.
- If you cannot confirm origin or food safety control information from your supplier:
- Discard or return the product to your supplier and use pistachio products for which you have the Canadian safety testing information.
- If you package pistachios or use pistachios as an ingredient to make another food, do not rely on dry heat, such as roasting, to eliminate Salmonella from pistachio products from Iran.
- Although heat usually destroys bacteria, Salmonella can survive in high-fat, low moisture foods such as pistachios. Dry heat is not a reliable control for this hazard. Throughout the outbreak, dry heat treatments have failed to eliminate Salmonella in prepared products.
Traceability requirements for retailers
Food retail businesses must document, or have access to documents, which trace each product back to its immediate supplier.
- These documents must include information on the dates that the products were provided to you, as well as the name and address of your supplier.
- You must provide this information to CFIA inspectors when they request it.
For more details consult the CFIA Fact Sheet: Traceability.
Inspection and enforcement
We continue to conduct inspection activities and have several control and enforcement tools to protect Canadians when non-compliance is identified.
- Administrative monetary penalties
- Seizure and detention or recall of products
- Suspension or cancellation of licences
Related links
We are committed to keeping stakeholders updated on any changing advice as the ongoing investigations evolve.
- Stay up to date by referring to Food notices for industry and Food import notices for industry.
- Protecting Canadians during Salmonella outbreak: Canadian Food Inspection Agency temporarily bans imported pistachio products from Iran
Contact us
- Visit our Toolkit for food businesses
- Contact CFIA online
- Stay connected to the latest news and updates about food recalls, food safety, animal health and plant health