Regulatory requirements and licence conditions for imported pistachios and pistachio products from Iran (September 2025)

On this page

• Introduction
• Regulatory requirements
• SFC licence conditions
• Guidance on the SFC licence conditions
• Legislative authority

Introduction

In August and September 2025, several Iranian-imported pistachios and pistachio-containing products were recalled in Canada due to contamination with Salmonella.

An outbreak investigation is ongoing, led by the Public Health Agency of Canada, with more than 100 laboratory-confirmed Salmonella infections in Canada and numerous food recall notifications linked to pistachio kernels and products originating from Iran. As of September 27, 2025 CFIA will refuse entry of Iranian pistachios and pistachio products that leave Iran on or after this date.

To mitigate the risk of Salmonella in pistachios, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is introducing new Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence conditions for importing pistachios and pistachio-containing products. These include:

• Proof of origin: If the consignment/shipment is from outside of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence holders must obtain a proof of origin from the exporter demonstrating the products originate from a country other than the Islamic Republic of Iran. The proof of origin must be included in the import declaration.
• Shipping document(s): If the consignment/shipment is from the Islamic Republic of Iran and left before September 27th, SFC licence holders must provide a shipping document that clearly indicates the date of shipment departure. The shipping document must be included in the import declaration, or the transaction will be rejected.
• Hold-and-test requirement: If proof of origin cannot be provided to show that the products did not originate from the Islamic Republic of Iran or a shipment left the Islamic Republic of Iran before September 27, 2025, SFC licence holders must hold each lot or shipment at the first destination in Canada and conduct sampling and testing for Salmonella as per the Sampling and hold and test procedure. The products can only be released for distribution if:
  • Sampling and testing are conducted as per procedures described below
  • Salmonella is not detected
  • the test result has been communicated to the CFIA
  • CFIA has authorized the release of the lot

In the SFC licence conditions, the expression "hold" or "held" means that the imported pistachios and pistachio-containing products must be kept at the address provided under paragraph 13(1)(d) of the SFCR until testing for Salmonella has been completed and the results of the testing are sent to the CFIA for review. The lot must not to be released for distribution in Canada unless the result of analysis is "not detected" (negative) for Salmonella species.

Regulatory requirements

Pursuant to section 13(1)(e) of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), importers are required to describe the food that they import, which includes using the appropriate HS-code for each import declaration.

The licence conditions apply to the following specific HS-OGD (harmonized commodity description and coding system – other government departments) extensions related to pistachios and pistachio-containing products:

• 08.02.51-all OGD extensions Pistachios - In shell
• 08.02.52-all OGD extensions Pistachios -Shelled
• 11.06.30-7119-all OGD extensions Flour, meal and powder: Pistachio
• 20.07.99-721711 and 200799-721723 Pistachio: Paste, butter or spread
• 20.08.19-7203-all OGD extensions Preparations of pistachio

Failure to provide import information (as per section 13 of the SFCR) may result in the incoming food(s) being seized and detained, destroyed and/or ordered removed from Canada. In addition, SFC licence holders who do not provide the required import information may be subject to other enforcement measures including having their SFC licence suspended or cancelled. For additional information on importing foods into Canada, refer to Food imports.

In addition, a person who imports food that is contaminated with Salmonella is in contravention of subsection 10(3) of the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and paragraph 8(1)(a) of the SFCR.

Pursuant to section 47 of the SFCR and in response to this hazard (presence of Salmonella in pistachios and pistachio-containing products from the Islamic Republic of Iran), licence holders are responsible for analyzing the risk to human health associated with these foods and for having control measures to prevent, eliminate or reduce that hazard. In accordance with sections 86, 88 and 89(1)(c) of the SFCR, licence holders must include, but are not limited to including, the detailed procedures to prevent or eliminate or reduce that hazard in their preventive control plan (PCP).

SFC licence conditions

To mitigate the risk of Salmonella in pistachio and pistachio-containing products, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is implementing SFC licence conditions for importers who import these products into Canada.

Pursuant to subsection 20(3) of the SFCA and effective September 27, 2025 and until further notice, SFC licence holders who import pistachios and pistachio-containing products listed under "Regulatory requirements" must:

• provide a proof of origin from the exporter declaring the country of origin of the pistachios and pistachio-containing products, if the consignment/shipment is from outside the Islamic Republic of Iran
• provide shipping document(s) which clearly describes the date of shipment departure, if the consignment/shipment is from the Islamic Republic of Iran and left the Islamic Republic of Iran before September 27th

and, if proof that the product does not originate from the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be provided or if a shipment departed the Islamic Republic of Iran before September 27, 2025, the importer must:

• hold, sample and test each lot for Salmonella spp., in accordance with the procedures detailed below.

The complete details on the SFC licence conditions and other existing import requirements are outlined in this document.

According to subsection 20(4) of the SFCA, a licence holder must comply with all the conditions to which their licence is subject.

Proof of origin

For each shipment of imported pistachios and pistachio products (including products containing pistachio ingredients), the SFC licence holder must provide a proof of origin issued by the exporter in the country of origin, confirming the origin of the pistachios. This documentation must be included in the import declaration.

If the proof of origin is not provided, the importer will be requested to re-submit the import declaration with proof of origin.

The proof of origin:

• must be from the exporter on official company letterhead
• must include the signature of the exporter
• must include the date the letter was signed by the exporter
• must include the state and country where the pistachios were grown and harvested

Importer attestation

If the importer cannot provide proof of origin described above, SFC licence holders must attest to hold, sample and test each lot for Salmonella spp. To do this, the importer must include an importer attestation with the import declaration. The importer attestation document must:

• be from the importer on official company letterhead
• include the Importer's Safe Food for Canadian (SFC) licence holder name and number.
• be dated and signed by the importer
• include a description of the commodity and shipment lot number
• attest that the importer will hold and test the shipment at the first destination indicated under SFCR 13(1)(d) as per the requirements of Regulatory requirements and outlined under the SFC licence conditions described above
• attest that the importer will contact the local CFIA inspection office before initiating the sampling process, as described under Sampling and hold-and-test procedure step (a) below

Shipping documents

If a shipment/consignment is originating from the Islamic Republic of Iran and departed the Islamic Republic of Iran before September 27, 2025, the importer must include shipping documents (for example, an invoice, bill of lading, manifest or Canada Customs Invoice) which clearly describes the products being imported, including amounts and date of shipment departure.

Sampling and hold-and-test procedure

SFC licence holders for the import of pistachio and pistachio-containing products who cannot provide proof that the products did not originate from the Islamic Republic of Iran or for a consignment that departed the Islamic Republic of Iran before September 27, 2025, are subject to the following conditions:

1. upon arrival at the address provided under SFCR 13(1)(d), the SFC licence holder must contact their local CFIA inspection office before initiating the sampling process.
2. each lot of imported pistachio and pistachio-containing products (sampling lot) is held, sampled and tested for the presence/absence of Salmonella spp. The sampling must be conducted according to the sampling and testing conditions outlined in points c, d, e, f, g and h.
3. a sampling lot refers to a group of homogeneous imported pistachios or pistachio-containing products that:
   • have been grown, harvested, and packaged under the same conditions,
     or
   • in the case of processed pistachio products, have been manufactured, prepared, produced, stored, packaged, or labelled under the same conditions,
     and
   • bear the same lot code assigned by the foreign producer or exporter.
4. the sample units are to be collected aseptically and be representative of the lot being tested. For each sampling lot, the minimum sampling and testing requirement is a total sample weight of at least 2000 g, consisting of 20 individual random sample units of at least 100 g each.
5. testing for screening or for confirmation is to be performed in a laboratory accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), or the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA).
6. the selected method of analysis must be in the Compendium of Analytical Methods (Health Canada, 2021). The method must be included in the laboratory's scope of accreditation and suitable for the intended purpose and application (i.e., validated for the appropriate matrix and sample size to detect the appropriate microbiological target) as indicated in the method's scope of application.
7. a presumptive positive result from a screening method is considered as a positive result for Salmonella spp. unless a recognized cultural confirmation test compatible with the screening method (i.e. MFHPB-20), is performed as per the requirements of the screening method, and produces a negative result (that is, not detected).
8. each sampling lot is kept at the address provided under SFCR 13(1)(d) pending results of analysis for Salmonella spp. The lot is not to be released for distribution in Canada unless the result of analysis is "not detected" (negative) for Salmonella spp.
9. if Salmonella spp. is not detected in a sampling lot and the condition outlined in point (f) has been complied with, pistachios and pistachio-containing products do not need to be held at the address provided under SFCR 13(1)(d) provided that:
   • the test result has been communicated to the CFIA, and
   • the CFIA has authorized the release of the lot for further distribution.

   Licence holders must contact their local CFIA inspection office to receive authorization to release the lot into distribution.

10. the licence holder is to document the written procedure describing how the sampling and testing requirements outlined above are being implemented including evidence to confirm the identity and accreditation status of the laboratory.
11. the licence holder is to keep records of analysis (ROA) for the products tested to demonstrate that each lot complies with the SFC licence conditions.

If the results of analysis detect the presence of Salmonella spp.in a sampling lot, the licence holder has a legal responsibility to notify the CFIA as per section 82 of the SFCR.

Guidance on the SFC licence conditions

Scope

The SFC licence conditions apply to all pistachios and pistachio-containing products that are imported in pre-packaged consumer packaging or in bulk.

Lot and sampling considerations

A sampling lot refers to a group of homogeneous imported pistachios or pistachio-containing products that:

• have been grown, harvested, and packaged under the same conditions,
  or
• in the case of processed pistachio products, have been manufactured, prepared, produced, stored, packaged, or labelled under the same conditions,
  and
• bear the same lot code assigned by the foreign producer or exporter.

A sampling lot may only have 1 lot code. There may be more than 1 sampling lot in 1 shipment of pistachios and pistachio-containing products.

Although the term "lot code" is not specifically defined in the SFCA nor in the SFCR, in general terms, "lot code" when used in Part 5 – Traceability of the SFCR refers to a code that can be used to identify a lot that was manufactured, prepared, produced, stored, graded, packaged or labelled, under the same conditions.

Records of analysis

Records of analysis (ROA) for the products tested are to be kept on file to demonstrate that each lot complies with the SFC licence conditions. The following key information should be included in the ROA:

• the name and address of the laboratory
• the date the results were reported

The information provided is to be sufficient to confirm the identity and accreditation status of the laboratory.

The ROA is to also provide a description of:

• the client
• the product sampled
• sampling information
  • date of sampling
  • location of sampling
  • sample size
  • number of samples
  • lot number(s) sampled
  • lab sample identification
• method used
• results of analysis

Sampling

The sample units are to be collected aseptically and be representative of the lot being tested.

Recognized methods can be found in the Compendium of Analytical Methods (Health Canada, 2021).

Examples of appropriate sampling

When to sample:

• upon receipt of the imported pistachios and pistachio-containing products at the first destination in Canada

Sampling lots:

• example 1: a 2,000 kilogram shipment containing 4,000 cartons of pre-packaged pistachios (or pistachio-containing products) in 250 g packages and 2,000 cartons of pistachios (or pistachio-containing products) in 500 g packages
  • this shipment should be considered 2 sampling lots. 1 sampling lot is 4,000 cartons of 250 g pre-packages, and the other sampling lot is 2,000 cartons of 500 g pre-packages
• example 2: a shipment of pistachios in bulk with a weight of 5,000 kilograms. This shipment will be re-packaged by the importer in Canada.
  • this shipment could be considered 1 sampling lot (if within the description of a "lot" set out in the licence conditions described in SFC licence conditions)
  • bulk product is to be sampled and tested prior to re-packaging

All packages, cases or containers in the sampling lot are to be equally represented in the sample. For example,

• a shipment of 10,000 cartons is to have no more than 1 package taken from a carton
• the 20 cartons sampled is to be selected from various parts of the shipment

Records

Importers are to send a copy of the document/records required as per the conditions of the CFIA.

Actions to be taken when Salmonella spp. is detected in imported pistachio (or pistachio-containing products)

The following section outlines the importer's responsibilities and the factors to consider when the presence of Salmonella spp. is detected in imported pistachios and pistachio-containing products.

A sample is considered to be positive in either of the following instances:

• a presumptive positive result is obtained from a screening method that was not followed by a confirmation test
• a positive test result from a confirmation method

Notification as per section 82 SFCR and following measures

As required by section 82 of the SFCR, SFC licence holders are required to immediately initiate an investigation if they suspect that the food presents a risk of injury to human health or does not meet the requirements of the SFCA or SFCR. If the investigation determines that there is a risk of injury to human health (for example, if the investigation indicates that contaminated pistachios or pistachio-containing products left the control of the SFC licence holder and are in distribution), the SFC licence holder must immediately inform the CFIA and take action to mitigate the risk, including conducting a food recall, as appropriate (SFCR 82 to 85).

Upon receipt of a positive test result for Salmonella spp., a licence holder must immediately segregate the implicated products and ensure it will not be distributed. The licence holder should determine the scope of product implicated by the positive result. Consider:

1. the lot(s) of product(s) that tested positive
2. how the lot(s) were defined
3. whether any other product(s) or lot(s) may represent the same risk based on factors such as:
   1. source of pistachios or pistachio-containing products
   2. time of production
   3. production or transportation conditions
   4. product re-packing
4. whether the results are indicative of the condition of one lot only or if they may indicate systemic or recurrent contamination (for example, multiple positive results in pistachios or pistachio-containing products coming from the same supplier or manufacturer)

Options relating to contaminated products

Contaminated products must not be released for distribution. The importer of pistachios and pistachio-containing products contaminated with Salmonella spp. may voluntarily choose to destroy the contaminated products. Should the importer wish to return the contaminated products to the country of origin, contact your local CFIA office for more details.

If the importer chooses to destroy the products, the importer is to notify the CFIA of their proposed product disposition method and be able to demonstrate that the destruction will not introduce any risk of contamination to the environment, animal and/or animal food sources or cause injury to human, plant or animal health.

If appropriate action is not taken, the CFIA may take enforcement actions such as the seizure of the contaminated products (SFCA s. 25) or order the importer or owner of the product to remove or destroy the products (SFCA s. 32).

Legislative authority

The SFC licence conditions are added pursuant to the following legislative authority.

Subsection 20(3) of the Safe Food for Canadians Act states: "The Minister may make a registration or licence subject to any additional conditions that the Minister considers appropriate."

The import requirements are based on the following legislative authority.

Section 8 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations and section 4 of the Food and Drugs Act.

Subsection 8(1) of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations states:

"Any food that is sent or conveyed from one province to another or that is imported or exported

1. (a) must not be contaminated
2. (b) must be edible
3. (c) must not consist in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, disgusting, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance; and
4. (d) must have been manufactured, prepared, stored, packaged and labelled under sanitary conditions"

Subsection 4(1) of the Food and Drugs Act states: "No person shall sell an article of food that:

1. (a) has in or on it any poisonous or harmful substance
2. (b) is unfit for human consumption
3. (c) consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, disgusting, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance;
4. (d) is adulterated; or
5. (e) was manufactured, prepared, preserved, packaged or stored under unsanitary conditions."

Failure to comply with the licence conditions and import requirements may result in enforcement action taken by the CFIA.