Another brand of tahini has been recalled in the Karawan tahini Salmonella Concord outbreak that has sickened at least 4 people in two states. Brodt Zenatti Holdings of Jupiter, Florida expanded their recall of imported tahini to include SoCo brand tahini that is sold in 135-ounce containers. This is in addition to the recalled retail and bulk Karawan brand tahini that is sold in 16 ounce jars and 39 pound buckets.
This newly recalled tahini may be labeled either “Karawan Tahini,” El-Karawan Tahini,” or “Soco Tahini.” It was sold in bulk to retailers and restaurants and was also available to consumers at retail outlets and online. It may have also been used to make other food products sold to consumers, including hummus, falafel, and baba ganoush.
One of the issues with tahini is that it has a very long shelf life of about two years. Consumers should check their homes to see if they have this products. If you do, throw it away in a sealed container or take it back to the retailer for a refund. Then sanitize your fridge or pantry to kill any remaining bacteria.
If you ate tahini or products containing tahini at a restaurant or purchased from a grocery store, ask the restaurant or retailer if that product contains the recalled tahini. Those facilities should have records that indicate where they purchased their products.
The last date of illness onset was March 23, 2019. The case count by state is New York (2), Massachusetts (1), and Texas (1); that remains the same as earlier updates.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include chills and fever, nausea and stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be watery or bloody. These symptoms usually start about 12 to 72 hours after a person eats food contaminated with the pathogen.
