It might be time to do a sweep of some of your cooking essentials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned about a major snack and candy recall affecting Walmart and Dollar General shoppers. Before that, the agency also alerted consumers about popular seasonings that were causing serious allergic reaction risks. Now, the FDA is calling out a new recall over tahini sold nationwide.
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On July 12, the FDA shared a company announcement from AB World Foods US, Inc. According to the notice, the company is "voluntarily recalling" some of its Al'Fez Natural Tahini products due to potential Salmonella contamination.
"The potential for contamination was noted after testing by the company revealed the presence of Salmonella," AB World Food US, Inc. states in its announcement. "The company has ceased distribution of the product as the company continues their investigation."
People who eat food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria can develop an illness called salmonellosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most people with this infection experience symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, which usually begin six hours to six days after infection.
But it is also important to note that Salmonella "can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems," according to the recent recall notice. "In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis."
AB World Food US, Inc. says it has not received any reports of illness related to this recall in the U.S. so far. Still, the company advises consumers who purchased any recalled Al'Fez Tahini products "to discontinue use immediately and return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund."
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The recalled Al'Fez Natural Tahini products were sold in 5.6-ounce glass jars and distributed nationwide throughout retail stores starting May 26 of last year. They also have the universal product code (UPC) 711464506778 and "Best Before" date of "2024 JL 11" or later.
"The specific codes being recalled are: Lot Numbers '3031', '3080', '3270', '3297' with corresponding Best Before: '2024 JL 31'; '2024 SE 09'; '2025 MR 27'; '2025 AL 04,'" the company added in its alert. "The recall only applies to these codes, the codes are located on the back of the jar as depicted in the pictures below."
This is not the first time a tahini product has been recalled this year for potential Salmonella. Back in March, the FDA shared an alert about a recall on Roland Tahini for the same issues.
A 2022 study in the journal Microorganisms indicated that the potential for Salmonella contamination in tahini is common due to problems that occur when roasting the sesame seeds. "Tahini and tahini-based products may become contaminated by Salmonella through insufficient or inadequate roasting of contaminated sesame seeds," the researchers noted.
