Viral chocolate bar among pistachio products recalled after 9 Canadians hospitalized

Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products.

Recall warnings have been issued for some products from the brands Habibi, Al Mokhtar Food Centre and Dubai.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says 52 cases of salmonella have been confirmed across four provinces, with the illnesses coming between early March and mid-July.

Quebec has the most with 39, followed by Ontario with nine, British Columbia with three and Manitoba with one.

The agency says the products were distributed to Ontario and Quebec.

The list of products includes Dubai brand Pistachio & Knafeh Milk Chocolate, which was distributed in Quebec but is also available for purchase online.

It's a type of chocolate that gained viral fame thanks to gushing reviews on social media.

The milk chocolate bar is filled with a pistachio cream and crunchy pieces of knafeh, a delectable combination that drew attention online several years ago and spawned many reviews on food blogs.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said the outbreak strains of salmonella that made people sick were found in samples of the recalled Habibi brand pistachios.

It's possible other sources will be identified as the investigation continues, the agency said in a public health notice.

It said the notice only includes lab-confirmed cases of salmonella and that the actual number of people in Canada who got sick is likely much higher, since people with mild symptoms might not go to the doctor.

Salmonella is a food-borne bacterial illness that can spread several days or weeks after a person is infected, even if they don't have symptoms. It can result in severe and potentially deadly infections, particularly for children, pregnant people, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, cramps and diarrhea.