Salmonella in Organic Tahini Prompts Recall

Posted by Fred Pritzker in Food Safety

A Berkeley, California, maker of organic foods is recalling  its Artisana Raw Tahini sauce due to the potential of Salmonella contamination.

The recall by Premier Organics covers 840 cases of Artisana Raw Tahini with lot number 90811. The 16-ounce glass bottles of sauce have been distributed nationwide through retail outlets and online sales. The company said it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine what caused the problem, detected in a sample test.

Premier Organics said there have been no reported illnesses to date associated with the recall.

Healthy persons who are infected often experience Salmonella symptoms of fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40,000 confirmed cases of Salmonella a year are reported in the United States, but the number of actual cases is estimated to be 30 or 40 times bigger. Children are especially at risk. The rate of diagnosed illnesses in children under five years old is about five times higher than the rate of infections in all other persons.

If you or a family member believes you may have contracted Salmonella, go to a medical clinic for care and request a stool sample be taken. It is important for public health officials to be aware of individual cases in order for them to be on the lookout for matching strains, which indicate that a Salmonella outbreak is occurring. That was the case with the massive peanut product Salmonella outbreak late last year and this year. Nine people died in that outbreak and our firm is representing the families of three of those victims.

If many cases are occurring at the same time, it may mean that a restaurant, food or water supply has a problem that needs correction to maintain public health and to keep companies who profit from food accountable for hygiene and wholesomeness.