Central Valley Nut Company Steam Pasteurizing Its Products

TURLOCK (KPIX 5) -- A Central Valley nut company is steam-pasteurizing its products to make them safer to eat.

Almonds, walnuts and even peanuts have had several outbreaks of salmonella contamination over the past dozen years, which has led to several recalls, damaging consumer trust in the market

While Alpine Pacific Nut just outside Modesto has never had a recall, Executive Brock Middleton says the company is ramping up a new process.

"Steam pasteurization process, or any pasteurization process helps control those micro biological issues," Middleton said.

So, how in do you pasteurize a walnut?"

It isn't easy.

You start with a custom built multi-million dollar machine that handles loads the size of a big rig truck, and lots of steam.

Nearly 80,000 pounds of product is loaded at a time - but the real key is not steam - it's vacuum. Once loaded and sealed, most of the air is pumped out.

"When you draw a deep enough vacuum that as soon as you inject the steam it instantly fills up all the areas in the chamber. So, that's how it gets inside the liners and boxes," Alpine Pacific Nut Executive Kenny Dickens said.

The steamer comes with a remote to control a robot that loads the chamber, so people don't have to go anywhere inside.

California produces almost all of the nation's walnuts, and demand for steam pasteurized walnuts is growing so much that the company is expanding, and planning to add a second unit next spring.

In case you're wondering - yes - steam-pasteurized walnuts do cost more.