Almonds, while a popular nut option today, were not always considered safe to eat. Originally, almonds as found in nature were quite poisonous, with the consumption of 50 or fewer being enough to kill an adult (from ISRN Toxicol). Wild almonds contain amygdalin, which is an unpleasant and bitter chemical. The scary part about amygdalin is that when you consume it, it has the potential to change into cyanide in the body (per Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center). Luckily, almonds today have undergone a harvesting process that avoids this deadly process, but that doesn’t mean manufacturers haven’t dealt with deadly risks.
Blue Diamond is a leading agricultural cooperative renowned for its high-quality almond products. With a rich history dating back over a century, Blue Diamond has become a global leader in almond cultivation, processing, and innovation. The company’s products include almonds, almond milk, and almond-based snacks, catering to health-conscious consumers, or so they claim. Unfortunately, Blue Diamond is not without a few health scares. In August of 2022, Blue Diamond was forced to recall over 347,600 pounds of their almonds due to a possible salmonella outbreak. Thankfully, they successfully completed the recall (unlike certain peanut corporations) and avoided what could have become a public health crisis. While it is comforting to know that some nut companies have our backs, it is still frightening to think that your almonds could have poisoned you with salmonella.
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