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 MADERA, Calif. (AP) - Raw, organic almonds form the basis of Karyn Calabrese's garlicky nut pate, her vegan pie crusts and vanilla ice cream custards.
But under a new federal rule requiring that virtually all almonds be pasteurized to prevent foodborne illness, the Chicago restaurateur will have to substitute a new nut, or go to vast lengths to import her raw almonds from across the globe.
Industry representatives say tightening food safety rules to subject almonds to heat treatment will help expand the market for California farmers, who grow about 80 percent of the world's almonds in a flat strip of land sandwiched between the Pacific coast and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
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