Company Recalls Organic Raw Almonds Distributed to Whole Foods

Marin Food Specialties Inc initiates voluntary recall of imported Organic Raw Almonds due to elevated levels of naturally occurring hydrogen cyanide

/ Author:  / Reviewed by: Joseph V. Madia, MD Beth Bolt, RPh

Marin Foods Specialties, Inc. of Byron, CA is voluntarily recalling Organic Raw Almonds (bitter almonds), due to them possibly containing elevated levels of naturally occurring hydrogen cyanide according to laboratory test results.

To date, no human illnesses have been associated with these products and they have been pulled from sale.

Bitter almonds are the wild form of the edible "sweet almonds." Bitter almonds contain a chemical called glycoside amygdalin, which becomes transformed into toxic prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) after they are crushed or chewed. Eating foods that contain prussic acid may result in some or all of the following signs and clinical symptoms within minutes: dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, restlessness, and weakness. Exposure to higher quantities of food containing prussic acid may cause other more serious health effects including convulsions, loss of consciousness, low blood pressure, lung injury, slow heart rate, and respiratory failure leading to death. Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to cyanide. Treatment with supportive measures and available specific and efficacious antidotes frequently allows survival.

The products were labeled as “Whole Foods Market Organic Raw Almonds Imported from Italy” and “Whole Foods Market Organic Raw Almonds Imported from Spain,” and were packaged in 13.5 oz. plastic tubs. The recalled products have sell-by dates from 4/18/15 to 6/7/15 and a UPC code of UPC 9-99482-00071-7. The recalled product was distributed to Whole Foods Market stores only in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Reno, Nevada and Boise, Idaho including:

Northern California:

  • 4315 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95864
  • 3000 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705
  • 731 East Blithedale, Mill Valley, CA 94941
  • 1140 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose, CA 95118
  • 1690 South Bascom Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
  • 1710 41st Ave, Capitola, CA, 95010
  • 2001 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114
  • 390 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401
  • 500 First St, Davis, CA 95616
  • 270 Palladio Pkwy, Folsom, CA 95630
  • 1765 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
  • 3111 Mowry Ave, Fremont, CA 94538
  • 650 W. Shaw Ave, Fresno, CA 93704
  • 1025 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
  • 690 Stanyan St, San Francisco, CA 94117
  • 230 Bay Place, Oakland, CA 94612
  • 3502 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549
  • 4800 El Camino Real, Los Altos, CA 94022
  • 15980 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos, CA 95032
  • 414 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941
  • 800 Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA 93940
  • 3682 Bel Aire Plaza, Napa, CA 94558
  • 3950 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
  • 790 DeLong Ave, Novato, CA 94945
  • 1150 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
  • 774 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
  • 621 E. Washington Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
  • 450 Rhode Island, San Francisco, CA 94107
  • 1250 Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063
  • 1001 Galleria Blvd, Roseville, CA 95678
  • 1010 Park Place, San Mateo, CA 94403
  • 340 Third Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
  • 100 Sunset Drive, San Ramon, CA 94583
  • 911 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062
  • 1181 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95405
  • 6910 McKinley Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472
  • 399 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
  • 201 West Napa Street #11, Sonoma, CA 95476
  • 20955 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014
  • 1333 E. Newell Ave., Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Oregon:

  • 2610 NE Hwy 20, Bend, OR 97701
  • 7380 SW Bridgeport Rd, Tigard, OR 97224
  • 3535 NE 15th Ave., Portland, OR 97212
  • 12220 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Tigard, OR 97223
  • 4301 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97213
  • 2825 East Burnside St., Portland, OR 97214
  • 1210 NW Couch Street, Portland, OR 97209
  • 19440 NW Cornell Rd., Hillsboro, OR 97124

Washington:

  • 888 116th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
  • 2001 15th Ave - West, Seattle, WA 98119
  • 2800 196th St. SW Ste. 100, Lynnwood, WA 98036
  • 815 Southeast 160th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98683
  • 17991 NE Redmond Way, Redmond, WA 98052
  • 1026 NE 64th Street, Seattle, WA 98115
  • 2210 Westlake Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121

Reno, NV:

  • 6139 South Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502

Boise, ID:

  • 401 S. Broadway St, Boise, ID 83702

Customers who purchased the products at issue in the voluntary recall should discard the products and return to the store with their receipt for a full refund. Please contact 512-477-5566 ext. 20060 with any questions between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday.

Review Date: 
November 10, 2014