On April 4, 2011 the Public Health Agency of Canada announced that an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 had occurred in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Several people had consumed raw shelled walnuts; walnuts were suspected as the vehicle of infection. The implicated walnuts were distributed by Amira Enterprises of Quebec, Canada, and had been imported from the United States. Products were sold in bulk and packages. Consumers who bought in bulk may not be able to identify the source of the walnuts. The affected products were available for purchase between January 1 and April 4, 2011.
Now, yesterday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Compass Food Sales are warning the public not to consume Compass brand in-shell California Walnuts because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. This product has been distributed nationally. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.