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Homemade nut-based dairy analogs raise questions about bacterial risks

Includes video on how to safely make almond milk at home

April 17, 2024 - from the purdue.edu:

"Trio of journal articles highlights consumer knowledge gaps in safe preparation methods

"Many consumers know the food safety risks of dairy products, eggs and raw meat. But they are less likely to understand the risks associated with dry goods, including tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios, said Yaohua “Betty” Feng, associate professor of food science at Purdue University.

"In the last 10 years, authorities have linked three food poisoning outbreaks in North America to cashew cheese-analog products alone. Plant-based food products, meanwhile, are surging in popularity. Sales of the products topped $7 billion in 2020, an increase of 27%, according to the Plant Based Foods Association.

Since last September, Feng and her collaborators have published three studies exploring issues related to tree nut safety. The most recent, “Food Safety Implications of Online Recipes for Preparing Soaked Nuts and Nut-Based Dairy Analogs,” made the cover of the January-February issue of Food Protection Trends. That study was based on a content analysis of more than 500 recipes posted on online blogs and YouTube videos.

"Feng, Harris and two colleagues first examined the food safety implications of the popular commercial and at-home practice of soaking and drying almonds before consumption. Their analysis of online blogs and recipes, published by the Journal of Food Protection in 2020, found a lack of information on safe food-handling practices along with risky room-temperature soaking procedures.

"The new study, expanded to include cashew, walnut and pistachio recipes, turned up similar issues.

"n outbreak associated with cashew cheese in 2021 shifted their focus beyond just soaking and drying nuts to ask what people were doing with the soaked nuts besides just eating, or drying them and then eating.

"It helps to know if the raw nuts have been treated to reduce salmonella. Some nuts labeled “raw” have been treated, while others with the same label have not.

"ood scientists do know, however, that bacteria can grow without necessarily making food taste bad or smell bad. “Using the sniff text or the taste does not work,” she said."