Czech Republic Warns of Clostridium botulinum Type A in Sliced Almonds Processed in Italy With Raw Material From the United States

The Czech Republic notified the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the presence of Clostridium botulinum type A in blanched sliced almonds 1.2 millimeters thick, processed in Italy with raw material from the United States. The alert, validated on October 16, 2026 and classified as a serious risk, originated in an official control on the market and indicates distribution in Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. On October 30, the Pardubice regional hygiene station, through the Czech Ministry of Health, published a consumer warning about sliced almonds in 60-gram retail packs, identified while tracing the distribution of that consignment.

According to the notification, in a sample taken on September 4, molecular genetic methods detected clostridia carrying the genes that encode production of botulinum neurotoxin type A. The consignment is batch L25833, in 10-kilo packs. The Ministry of Health explains that it notified the case based on the results of an epidemiological investigation and the subsequent laboratory analysis, and that the recall was initiated throughout the distribution chain. The 60-gram packs, with best-before dates of March 31 and December 31, 2027, were sold in the Hradec Králové and Pardubice regions. On October 21, a wholesale chain had already recalled two batches of 220-gram sliced almonds following the investigation of the finding. The RASFF follow-up, with information from the authorities of Italy and Hungary, added almonds, almond flour and almond sticks as related products.

Clostridium botulinum forms resistant spores that are found in soil and can reach agricultural products such as nuts. In a dry almond, low water activity prevents the spores from germinating and producing toxin, and blanching is not enough to destroy them. The risk arises when the ingredient goes into moist, low-acid, oxygen-free preparations, such as pastes, fillings or vacuum-packed products, without a validated treatment. Molecular analysis detects the toxin genes, that is, strains capable of producing it, not toxin that has already formed. According to the Czech authority, botulism symptoms appear between 6 and 72 hours after consumption: double or blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and muscle weakness.

For bakery, confectionery and plant-based beverage manufacturers that use almonds as an ingredient, the case is a reminder of the importance of assessing spore-formers when approving suppliers and of validating the processes of recipes in which the ingredient goes into a moist, oxygen-free medium. TAAG's catalog does not include a kit for Clostridium botulinum or its toxin, so no assay is proposed for this case; the detection and confirmation of toxigenic strains is a matter for reference laboratories.