New Zealand / Health

More products containing tahini added to recall over salmonella fears

19:37 pm on 11 March 2023

Pictured are some of the recalled products, including Little Bird Organics brand Good Breakfast Cookie Apple Cinnamon Almond Hemp, GoodFor brand Sugar Free Spheres, Ceres Organics brand Organic Hulled Tahini, Forty Thieves brand Organic Tahini Hulled. Photo: Supplied / MPI

More products containing tahini have been recalled over fears of salmonella.

Earlier this month, 21 hummus and tahini products from Lisa's, Greater! and Prep Kitchen brands were recalled. Later, products that contain tahini from the brands Seasons Gourmet, Turkish Kitchen, and Ceres Organics were added to the recall.

On Saturday, products containing tahini from five more brands were added, including specific batches of Little Bird Organics' Good Breakfast Cookie Apple Cinnamon Almond Hemp, GoodFor's Sugar Free Spheres and Silky Ta-hini, She Universe's Sesame & Cashew Butter Batons, Forty Thieves' Organic Tahini Hulled, and Bin Inn's Organic Hulled and Unhulled Tahini.

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said salmonellosis could be serious and it was important people did not eat any of the products involved in the recall.

"Symptoms appear within 12 to 72 hours and include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Illness usually lasts between 4 and 7 days but, in more severe cases, it can go on for up to 10 days and cause more serious illness.

"People with symptoms should drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest.

"Anyone who has consumed this product and has severe symptoms - such as dehydration, severe diarrhoea or feeling sick for more than 7 days - should talk to their health professional or call Healthline on 0800 611 116."

Arbuckle said any products involved in the recall could be returned to where they were purchased for a refund.

He said NZFS was continuing to work with Te Whatu Ora to identify any salmonella cases relating to the recall.

No confirmed cases have been identified yet but testing is underway.

Tahini is a known high -risk food, and subject to a more stringent process in New Zealand, requiring border clearance.

Arbuckle said NZFS would be working to understand how the contamination came to be and how to prevent it in future.

"We have informed food safety authorities in Turkey and will work together with them to identify and manage any further risk."

The full list can be found on MPI's recalled food products page.

  • More products containing tahini added to recall over salmonella fears
  • Some Seasons Gourmet and Turkish Kitchen products recalled due to possible contamination
  • Large recall on hummus and tahini products due to possible contamination