Three supermarkets in Ireland have been hit by a recall of some seed mix products over fears that sesame seeds used in their production have been contaminated with salmonella.
A recall notice was issued today for the affected products, supplied by Kestrel Foods in Northern Ireland to Tesco, Superquinn and Supervalu.
The contaminated seeds are believed to have originated in India.
The products pose a higher threat to consumer health because they will not be cooked prior to eating, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said.
The affected items include all batches of Tesco's Wholefoods Seed Mix, and Forest Feast Sesame Seeds (50g) sold by Superquinn. Supervalu is recalling its Supervalu Goodness Seed Mix 70g and 300g products with a best-before date of March 31st 2010, and SuperValu Sesame Seeds 150g, with the same best-before date.
Salmonella is a common infection of the gastrointestinal tract. The salmonella bacteria can be passed to people or other animals through eating foods contaminated with animal faeces.
The infection can cause diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection, and usually lasts between four and seven days. Although most people recover without treatment, the elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to be more severely affected.
Retailers selling the affected seeds have been contacted by the FSAI, and the products are being withdrawn.
"The FSAI is concerned that the product could cause food poisoning if consumed. This product is ready-to-eat, so the risk posed is that the Salmonella would not be destroyed before consumption,"said FSAI chief executive Prof Alan Reilly.
"Consumers who have affected product are advised to dispose of it or return it to the store where it was purchased. Consumers who may have already consumed this product and are feeling unwell, should seek medical advice."
He said contaminations of this type were usually caused by a breakdown in hygiene somewhere in the process, and it was not very unusual to find low levels of contamination in sesame seeds. However, when the bacteria above a certain level is discovered in foodstuffs, the items are withdrawn.
Superquinn said it had withdrawn the products from shelves immediately when it was made aware of the contamination.
"Customers who have purchased this product are advised to return it to the store in which it was bought, where they will receive a full refund," the retailer said in a statement.
Tesco Ireland said only a small number of its products had been affected. The stock had been taken from the shelves, and measures had been put in place to ensure it could not be sold at the till.
Prof Reilly said the body was satisfied with the reaction from the supplier and retailers affected by the recall. "Everyone is responding responsibly," he said. "It's a serious problem when we find salmonella in a ready to eat food."
There were 445 cases of salmonella in Ireland last year.