Imported tahini tied to Salmonella cases in 3 states
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday that it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state health partners are investigating a multistate Salmonella Concord outbreak linked to imported tahini.
The outbreak comes less than 3 months since the CDC wrapped up an investigation into a different Salmonella Concord outbreak linked to tahini.
So far, 4 illnesses have been reported in three states: 2 in New York, 1 in Massachusetts, and 1 in Texas. One patient has been hospitalized, and the latest illness onset is Mar 23.
Based on the epidemiologic, product testing, and trace-back investigation, the FDA is warning consumers not to eat Karawan or El-Karawan labeled tahini, and it has asked that the product be recalled. Samples of the product were positive for Salmonella based on tests done by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Yesterday Broddzenatti Holding of Jupiter, Fla., recalled retail and bulk Karawan tahini sold in 16-ounce jars and 39-pound buckets imported from Palestine between December 2018 and January 2019 due to potential Salmonella contamination. The products were distributed to New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Texas.
The label of the product that tested positive is Brodt Zenatti Holdings, an importer based in Jupiter, Fla. The FDA said, however, that other importers may have also imported the "Karawan Tahini and Halva" branded tahini, which was sold in bulk to retailers and restaurants and was also sold to consumers at retail locations and online.
Though the investigation is ongoing, the FDA said that at this time, the current outbreak doesn't appear to be linked to previous one, which involved Baron's brand made by Achdut, Ltd., and sickened eight people in four states.
May 15 FDA statement
May 16 FDA recall notice
Feb 27 CIDRAP News scan "CDC ends probe into multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to tahini products"
CDC notes 52-case Salmonella outbreak tied to live chicks, ducklings
The CDC today confirmed that 52 people have been sickened—5 of them seriously enough to require hospitalization—in a 21-state outbreak of Salmonella infections tied to handling backyard poultry like chicks and ducklings.
The outbreak is the latest in a series of Salmonella outbreaks tied to live poultry, the most recent of which happened last year and eventually affected at least 334 people, 56 of whom were hospitalized. The current outbreak strains are Salmonella Braenderup and Montevideo.
Ohio has the most cases, with 9, followed by Missouri (6), Pennsylvania (5), Tennessee (4), and Virginia (4). Patients range in age from less than 1 year to 60, with a median age of 21 years. Illness-onset dates range from Jan 12 to Apr 29, and no deaths have been reported.
"Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicate that contact with backyard poultry (such as chicks and ducklings) from multiple hatcheries is the likely source of these outbreaks," the CDC said. "People reported obtaining chicks and ducklings from several sources, including agricultural stores, websites, and hatcheries."
Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after exposure. The illness typically lasts 4 to 7 days, the CDC said.
May 16 CDC notice