Hummus recall: More products recalled after possible salmonella contamination

Several brands of hummus and tahini have been recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. Photo / Supplied

In light of the potential presence of Salmonella, further goods containing tahini have been recalled following yesterday’s announcement.

The recall is across several brands including Lisa’s, Greater! and Prep Kitchen, Seasons Gourmet and Turkish Kitchen, an updated list can be found here.

The tahini used in the hummus products was imported from Turkey and utilised in a wide range of products, according to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), making the recall complicated.

Vincent Arbuckle, the deputy director-general for food safety at MPI, cautioned people not to consume the recalled goods because salmonellosis might be seriously harmful.

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

MPI said the products have been removed from store shelves and have not been exported.

Tahini is one of the high-risk foods that requires a food safety clearance at the border, which can include providing an official certificate, other documentation, or product sample testing.

“No testing can be failsafe, so the additional required controls put in place by an importer are critical. In this instance, routine manufacturer testing detected Salmonella in product already in New Zealand,” MPI said.

New Zealand Food Safety will be working with Life Health Foods NZ Ltd to understand how the contamination occurred.