Salmonella Fears Prompt Recall Of Illinois-Made Tahini

ILLINOIS — International Golden Foods, an Illinois food and beverage company based in Bensenville, has voluntarily recalled its Al Kanater brand tahini for potential salmonella contamination, according to an announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The product was sold in 16-ounce jars labelled "Al Kanater Tahini" with the product code "AT1LB" and lot number "TT4N-201127." The product's UPC code is "6-92551-00002-0."

Officials said no one has been sickened by the contamination, which was detected by random sampling by the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Anyone who purchased the tahini should return it to the store where they bought it for a full refund.

Signs of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, which typically manifest between six hours and six days after exposure to the bacteria. Those under age 5, those over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience severe illness.

In some cases, the infection can spread from the intestines to other parts of the body and require hospitalization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages anyone with symptoms of salmonella poisoning to contact a doctor, write down what they ate the week before they became sick, report the illness to the health department and communicate with health investigators about their illness.