Found out the almonds I've been eating are pasteurized and it kind of bugs me

I was reading the back of a bag of raw almonds from the grocery store last night and noticed small print saying they were steam pasteurized. Did a quick search on my phone and apparently since 2007 the USDA requires all almonds grown in the US to be pasteurized. So "raw" almonds at the store aren't really raw. I get the safety angle but why even call them raw if they've been heat treated? Anyone else feel like this is just another example of buzzwords meaning nothing?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant_cooper9d ago

Is it really that deep though? Pasteurized almonds still taste the same to me (and they're probably safer overall).

noahpark9d ago

A buddy of mine had his almonds tested last year and they still had active salmonella after he bought them, so pasteurization isn't just about taste for most people, @grant_cooper.