Just so you know, I called Costco and they verified that their almonds were sprayed with PPO. The use of propylene oxide (PPO) is prohibited in organic products, but it is often used to pasteurize conventional almonds. Other common uses of PPO include building insulation, furniture foams, and aircraft deicers. Pasteurization can also be performed by steaming or dry roasting.
Cultivated, in all likelihood, one or the other of those methods will have been used. Both Whole Foods 365 brand almonds and Trader Joe's almonds are steamed. Blue Diamond's sliced and sliced almonds are steam pasteurized and their natural line of whole nuts is treated with PPO. Almonds should be treated with steam pasteurization or with a chemical called propylene oxide (PPO), a known carcinogen.
In fact, my favorite source of raw almonds earlier was Costco because of the fabulous price and high quality until I discovered that their almonds were treated with PPO. Most health food stores claim to sell raw almonds. Superior Nut's non-organic almonds are fumigated with PPO, but their organic product sold in bulk on the company's website is not fumigated. Bitter almonds are those that naturally contain a toxin that the body breaks down into cyanide, a compound that can cause poisoning and even death.
For almond flour (also known as almond flour), to avoid pasteurization of PPO and skins (skins make food harder to digest) buy Honeyville almond flour or Kirkland almond flour from Cost First, you can read the new law and its specific provisions in the address of the California Almond Board website. Just because almonds can be expensive at face value doesn't mean you can't find other ways to buy them at cheaper prices. Speaking to Western Farm Press, the agricultural economist noted: “The increase in cost was due to rising land values, higher interest rates and rising cost of loans to establish almond orchards, as well as standard but rising operating costs such as irrigation, fertilizers and tariffs pollination. I am very concerned about the safety of all nuts and seeds, as it relates to the chemicals sprayed on them, not just almonds.
By law, all almonds produced in the United States must be pasteurized, even if they are labeled as raw. Boiling, roasting, or heating bitter almonds in the microwave can help reduce their toxin content and make them safer to eat. The objective is to ensure, through steam pasteurization, that almonds do not carry bacteria from the fields to consumers. Even Trader Joe's sells Italian almonds that, in fact, are heat treated at 170-190 degrees, essentially killing nutrients found in their raw form.
All California almonds, which would be virtually all almonds in the country, are heat pasteurized or treated with a fumigant. They're cheaper in bulk at Costco, if you can use them before they go stale or have space in your freezer.
