Five Star Food Inc. Declares Recall on Sham Gardens Excellent Tahina due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
Tahina is an essential ingredient in many Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes such as hummus and baba ghanoush. Tahina is made from toasted ground hulled sesame. On January 15, 2020, Five Star Inc. in Garden City, Missouri, declared a recall on 100 cases of their 800 g Excellent Tahini and 100 cases of their 400 g Excellent Tahini due to the possibility of Salmonella monocytogenes contamination.
The contamination was first detected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development when routine samples were taken in for testing. The final laboratory results have not yet been released. However, in order to exercise particular caution, Five Star Foods Inc. has recalled any products produced within the time span of possible Salmonella contamination.
The FDA announced the company’s voluntary recall just this past Tuesday, January 21, 2020. The products of concern were shipped to Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, North Dakota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These products are Sham Gardens brand and bear the “best by” date of November, 2020 printed on their labels as follows:
Salmonella is a bacterium which can cause a range of gastrointestinal illness from minor to severe, depending on the health of the person. Those with compromised immune systems such as the very young, old, and pregnant are particularly at risk to develop complications.
Consumers that are still in possession of any of the products mentioned above are urged to discard them. Fortunately, there have been no reported cases of illness linked to this contamination presently. The final lab results and any further information will be posted to the FDA’s website.
https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article239527103.html
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/index.html
