Food Safety Alert – Salmonella outbreak linked to Karawan brand tahini

A CDC food safety alert about a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to Karawan brand tahini has been posted at https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/concord-05-19/index.html

Key points:

• CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Concord infections linked to Karawan brand tahini imported from Israel.
• On May 15, 2019, Brodt Zenatti Holding LLC of Jupiter, Fla., recalled Karawan brand tahini because it might be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Four ill people have been reported from three states (Mass., N.Y., and Texas).
• One person has been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
• Illnesses started from March 9, 2019, to March 23, 2019.
• This outbreak is not related to a recent multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to tahini.
• This investigation is ongoing and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

Advice to consumers, retailers, and restaurants:

• Do not eat, sell, or serve tahini labeled as “Karawan Tahini” or “El-Karawan Tahini” or products made with this tahini, such as hummus.
• Retailers and restaurants should not use any Karawan brand tahini. Retailers and restaurants should throw the product out and sanitize any surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled tahini or products made with recalled tahini.
• Consumers should not eat any Karawan brand tahini. Throw out any food you made with Karawan brand tahini. Even if some tahini was eaten and no one got sick, do not eat it.
  • Wash containers that held foods made with recalled Karawan brand tahini with hot, soapy water or clean in the dishwasher.
  • Wash surfaces that came into contact with recalled tahini with hot, soapy water.
• Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from eating Karawan brand tahini products.

About Salmonella:

• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12-72 hours after eating contaminated food.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• More information can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonella-food/index.html.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.

Thank you,

CDC News Media Branch

404-639-3286

media@cdc.gov

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether disease start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.