Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn.

Grocers in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama are pulling pistachio nuts and pistachio products off their shelves as another salmonella contamination scare begins to sweep the nation.

"The contamination involves multiple strains of salmonella," according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which on Tuesday announced an investigation of central California-based Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., the nation's second-largest pistachio processor.

Like the peanut recall earlier this year, the pistachio contamination is likely to affect many products, including ice cream, cakes and other foods containing the nuts, according to the announcement.

"Because the pistachios were used as ingredients in a variety of foods, it is likely this recall will impact many products ... and may lead to additional pistachio product recalls," the announcement states.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA's recall statement. Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain, the recall notice states.

Kroger stores in East Tennessee and Northwest Georgia -- including Dalton, Ga., and Cleveland, Tenn. -- have pulled cans of Private Selection shelled pistachios from grocery cases after the agriculture department issued a recall Friday on that specific product.

"Consumers should not eat the pistachios," said Kroger spokesman Glynn Jenkins. "We have taken measures to remove that specific product from the shelves."

On Monday, the Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. issued a news release indicating stores under the following names in the 31 states -- including Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama -- were affected by the recall: Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, Smith's, Dillons, QFC, City Market, Foods Co., Jay C, Scott's, Owen's, Baker's, Gerbes, Hilander and Pay Less.

Kroger's statement said Food 4 Less stores operated by the company did not receive any of the recalled pistachios.

Publix stores have gone a step further, removing all products they can identify that contain pistachios, said spokeswoman Brenda Reid.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we are in process of pulling everything that has pistachios in it, and we're doing research to determine what products those are," Ms. Reid said Tuesday. "FDA has issued a statement encouraging that."

Consumers can return the products to the stores for refunds, Kroger and Publix spokesmen said.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Anna Taylor said pistachios also were being removed from Wal-Mart shelves, and customers could return ones they've already purchased.

"Although we were assured by Setton International Foods that our Sam's Choice pistachios were not impacted by the recall, we have chosen to remove them from the shelves in an abundance of caution," Ms. Taylor said.

A spokesperson for Bi-Lo said suppliers assured store officials that their products are not affected, but they are pulling some nut mixes off their shelves as a precaution.

"Customers may return pistachio products if they wish to do so," according to a store statement issued Tuesday.

Officials with Pruetts and Greenlife did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment.

California health officials told The Associated Press that the number of products to be recalled over the coming days will grow simply because some of the Setton pistachios have been repackaged into other products. The pistachio company, Setton, was recalling more than 2 million pounds of its roasted nuts shipped since last fall -- even turning around trucks on the road en route to markets, said Jeff Farrar, chief of the Food and Drug Branch of the California Department of Public Health.

"It will be safe to assume, based on the volume, that this will be an ingredient in a lot of different products, and that may possibly include things like ice cream and cake mixes," Mr. Farrar said.

The nation's earlier peanut scare was blamed on Georgia's Peanut Corp. of America. That contamination case ultimately required the recall of 3,900 products, and the outbreak is continuing with more than 690 people in 46 states reported ill. Several deaths may have been linked to the contaminated peanuts, according to the FDA.

In late January, the FDA said its probe of Peanut Corp. of America had become a criminal investigation. Officials said the company had flouted safety procedures and knowingly shipping contaminated peanuts.