Much like raw milk, raw almonds can harbor food-borne diseases that make people sick. ... The most common way to pasteurize almonds in the United States, according to research from Food Safety News, is with a chemical: propylene oxide, or PPO.

Do almonds have to be pasteurized?

But almonds are the only nut, seed or dried fruit that must — by law — be pasteurized. If they're not steamed, they must be fumigated with a chemical called propylene oxide, or PPO. The regulation is a result of two salmonella outbreaks traced to almonds in the early 2000s.

Can you buy unpasteurized almonds?

The only way to purchase real, unpasteurized, truly raw California almonds is directly from the farmer! Unpasteurized almonds are perfectly safe and naturally resistant to harmful bacteria.