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FSPCA - Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance

Monday, March 8, 2021

Sesame Oil Recalled After Testing Finds Salmonella

Mediterranean Food Inc. of Warren, MI, is recalling its 2Lb plastic jar of "Alqosh Sesame Oil" because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) at one of the retailers sold the product to which revealed the presence of Salmonella in some of the 2 Lb plastic jars of "Sesame Oil."  The product appears to be imported from Iraq.

Salmonella can survive in oil, a low Aw ingredient, for long periods of time.  A study demonstrated that Salmonella could survive for months in peanut oil.  

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mediterranean-food-inc-recalls-alqosh-sesame-oil-because-possible-health-risk
Mediterranean Food Inc. Recalls “Alqosh Sesame Oil” Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date: March 05, 2021
FDA Publish Date: March 08, 2021
Product Type: Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement: Salmonella
Company Name: Mediterranean Food Inc.
Brand Name: Alqosh
Product Description: Sesame oil “Tahin”
Company Announcement

Mediterranean Food Inc. of Warren, MI, is recalling its 2Lb plastic jar of "Alqosh Sesame Oil" because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The recalled "Sesame Oil" were distributed in Michigan retail stores and distributors through our company's staff. The Product was distributed in the period from 11/06/2020 to 12/10/2020.

The product comes in a 2Lb, clear plastic jar marked with lot # 16082020 on the side of the jar and with a Production date of 08/16/2020 stamped on the side.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) at one of the retailers sold the product to which revealed the presence of Salmonella in some of the 2 Lb plastic jars of "Sesame Oil."

Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.

Consumers who have purchased Alqosh Sesame Oil "Tahin" 2Lb plastic jar with lot # 16082020 should not consume the product and are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund in the hours from 9:00Am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-586-777-3460.



J Food Prot. 2016 Mar;79(3):361-8. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-15-419
Strain-Specific Survival of Salmonella enterica in Peanut Oil, Peanut Shell, and Chia Seeds
Karen Fong 1, Siyun Wang 2
Affiliations expand
PMID: 26939645 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-15-419
Abstract
In North America, outbreaks of Salmonella have been linked to low-water activity (aw) foods, such as nuts and seeds. These outbreaks have implicated an assortment of Salmonella serotypes. Some Salmonella serotypes (e.g., Enteritidis and Typhimurium) cause high proportions of salmonellosis. Nevertheless, there has recently been an emergence of uncommon Salmonella serotypes and strains (e.g., Tennessee, Hartford, and Thompson) in low-aw foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival characteristics of Salmonella serotypes Enteritidis, Typhimurium, Tennessee, Hartford, and Thompson in three low-aw food ingredients with varying aw: peanut oil (aw = 0.521 ± 0.003), peanut shell (aw = 0.321 ± 0.20), and chia seeds (aw = 0.585 ± 0.003). The survival of individual Salmonella strains on each food matrix was monitored for a maximum of 150 days by spreading the bacterial cells onto Luria-Bertani and/or xylose lysine deoxycholate agar. Overall, Salmonella survived for the longest periods of time in peanut oil (96 ± 8 days), followed by chia seeds (94 ± 46 days). The survival period was substantially reduced on the surface of peanut shell (42 ± 49 h), although PCR after 70 days of incubation revealed the presence of Salmonella cells. In addition, Salmonella exhibited a strain-specific response in the three low-aw foods tested. Salmonella Hartford was identified as highly persistent in all low-aw food matrices, whereas Salmonella Typhimurium was the least persistent. The current research emphasizes the adaptable nature of Salmonella to low-aw food ingredients. This may pose additional problems owing to the downstream production of various end products. Additionally, unique survival characteristics among Salmonella strains highlight the need for tailored mitigation strategies regarding high-risk Salmonella strains in the food industry.


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