The US Food and Drug Administration, on Tuesday, announced that Trader Joe’s has voluntarily recalled the packages of raw walnuts due to the risk of Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause illness and at times can lead to death in young children, the frail or the elderly.

Such kind of food poisoning can result in diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, cramps and other related symptoms that typically develop within 12 to 72 hours after the infection period. The salmonella infection lasts around four to seven days depending on the strength of the bacteria.

Trader Joe’s removed the walnuts temporarily from shelves when the samples tested positive for bacteria, but fortunately, till now, no illnesses have been reported.

In a statement, the company said that all the lots of these products have been removed from the store shelves and their sale has been suspended until the source of the issue gets identified. It also apologized for the inconvenience.

Dr. James Watt, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Acting State Health Officer, today has warned people to avoid five varieties of Trader Joe’s brand raw walnuts, as there is a possibility that the products are contaminated with salmonella.

Trader Joe’s began the voluntary recall when they were informed that the routine surveillance samples analyzed by a private laboratory had been tested positive for Salmonella.

Though the pre-packaged walnuts are banned for sale, the CDPH investigators are concerned that consumers may still have the recalled products in their homes.

They have told the consumers that if they have any of these recalled products, then they should discard them or return them to the store of purchase for a refund.