About our CashewsUpdated 2 months ago

Our cashews are USDA Certified Organic and sourced from Vietnam. 

While they could legally considered "raw" it is important to note that all cashews are heat treated. This is due to the presence of a naturally occurring compound called Urushiol which is present in the shell and surrounding oil of raw cashews. Urushiol is the same toxic compound found in poison ivy. Untreated cashews can cause reactions similar to poison ivy exposure, including rashes and, in severe cases, more serious health effects. Removing this toxic compound requires heat treatment of all cashews. For this reason, truly raw, unshelled cashews are not sold to consumers, even if they are labeled as “raw”.

Our Gut Nuts - Fermented Cashews are sprouted, fermented, and then dehydrated. They can be exposed to temperatures as high as 170°F during the dehydrating process, though not always. One definition of raw states that “A food is considered raw if it has never been heated over 104°–118°F (40°–48°C). It should also not be refined, pasteurized, treated with pesticides or otherwise processed in any way." So, According to that definition, our Gut Nuts may not be currently considered raw as they exceed 118°F during dehydration.