Health Benefits of
Almond Safety
Almond pasteurization became mandatory for the California almond industry on September 1, 2007, and was implemented on a voluntary basis over the previous two years. All almonds must be pasteurized before being sold to consumers in North America.
Pasteurization
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with a technical review panel comprised of almond scientific experts, are responsible for evaluating and approving the treatment processes that demonstrate effectiveness in achieving a reduction of possible contamination in almonds while not impacting their quality and sensory attributes. To date, FDA has approved oil roasting, dry roasting, blanching, steam processing and propylene oxide (PPO) processes as acceptable forms of pasteurization for almonds. Organic almonds will be pasteurized using treatments, such as steam pasteurization, that meet the USDA Organic Program’s national standards. Other forms of pasteurization continue to be researched, evaluated and tested. ABC worked over several years with leading experts and weighed all perspectives and issues in developing this industry-wide pasteurization plan.
Resources
Almonds, From Wikipedia
