A multistate outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo and Salmonella Mbandaka infections linked to Krinos brand tahini has sickened eight people in six states. No patients have been hospitalized in this outbreak, and no deaths have been reported.
Food Poisoning Bulletin told you about a report from the Minnesota Department of Health last week that stated two children were ill in this outbreak. The product was recalled earlier this month. The outbreak case count by state is as follows: California (1), Minnesota (2), New York (1), North Dakota (1), Texas (2), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates range from less than 1 year to 75 years, with a median age of 24 years. Half of ill persons are female.
Because the tahini paste has such a long shelf life, it may still be in consumer’s homes. The expiration dates for the recalled tahini extend to March 15, 2015. The Michigan Department of Agriculture isolated Salmonella Montevideo from the product, and additional testing by the FDA isolated Salmonella Mbandaka from sesame paste collected from shipments arriving in the U.S. for distribution by Krinos Foods. Please check your pantry shelves to see if you have the recalled product; if you do, do not eat it. Return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
Public health officials used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to identify the bacteria that have caused this outbreak. These strains of Salmonella Montevideo and Salmonella Mbandaka have very rarely been seen before.
