RECALL: Hawai‘i Tahini Products Could be Contaminated

Hawai‘i is one of three states that have reported infections from tahini products recently. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) advises consumers and retailers not to eat, serve or sell recalled tahini products produced by Achdut Ltd., which is linked to a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Concord infections.

Tahini recall.

• Five infections with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from three states: Hawai‘i, Michigan and New York.
• No one has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
• Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 16, 2018 to Oct. 18, 2018.
• On Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, Achdut Ltd., a company in Israel, recalled External tahini products because they might be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products have expiration dates of April 7, 2020, to May 21, 2020.
• Recalled tahini products were sold under several brand names, including Achva, Achdut, Soom, S&F, Pepperwood, and Baron’s.
• This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

Advice to Consumers:

• Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled tahini or products made with recalled tahini, such as hummus, even if unopened. Return it to the store or throw it away.
• Retailers and restaurants should not use any of the recalled tahini manufactured by Achdut Ltd. at their establishments and should throw the product out. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell recalled tahini products or products made with them, such as hummus.
• Recalled tahini products have lot codes ranging from 18-097 to 18-141. Some recalled products may not have dates or may have labels written in Hebrew. If you do not know whether the tahini product has been recalled, do not eat it and throw it away.
• For a full list of recalled tahini products, visit the FDA website.
• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
• Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from eating recalled tahini products.

Learn more about how you can take steps to prevent Salmonella infection. Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators and freezers where recalled tahini products were stored. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.
If you have further questions about this outbreak, please call the CDC media line at (404) 639-3286. If you have questions about cases, call the Hawai‘i Department of Health.

More information can be found online.