Pasteurizing Almonds
<h2 >Mandatory pasteurization in California</h2>
<p >The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USDA" title="USDA" class="mw-redirect" >USDA</a> approved a proposal by the Almond Board of California to pasteurize almonds sold to the public, after tracing cases of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmonellosis" title="Salmonellosis" >salmonellosis</a> to almonds. The almond pasteurization program became mandatory for California companies in 2007.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almonds#cite_note-34" >[35]</a></sup> Raw, untreated California almonds haven't been available in the U.S. since then.</p>
<p>
California almonds labeled "raw" must be steam-pasteurized or chemically treated with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_oxide" title="Propylene oxide" >propylene oxide</a>. This doesn't apply to imported almonds <sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almonds#cite_note-35" >[36]</a></sup> or almonds sold from the grower directly to the consumer in small quantities.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almonds#cite_note-36" >[37]</a></sup> The treatment also isn't required for raw almonds sold for export outside of North America.</p>
<p>
The USDA-approved marketing order was challenged in court by organic farmers organized by the Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. According to the Cornucopia Institute, this almond marketing order has
imposed significant financial burdens on small-scale and organic growers and damaged domestic almond markets. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in the spring of 2009 on procedural grounds. In August 2009 farmers were appealing.<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almonds#cite_note-37" >[38]</a></sup></p>