More tahini recalled as factory tests positive for salmonella

A tahini factory in northern Israel tested positive for a salmonella contamination, the Health Ministry announced Wednesday, in the latest in a string of food recalls.

The Health Ministry ordered a recall of all RJM Food Industries Ltd. products made after June 23 out of concern of possible contamination. The company’s factory outside the town of Migdal Ha’emek produces the sesame paste in bulk for institutional food services.

The episode is the latest in a series of high-profile Israeli food industry contamination cases in recent weeks, including at least two cases involving tahini.

The Health Ministry has had its hands full with contamination scares since the Telma cereal brand said salmonella-tainted cornflakes had found their way to consumers in early August.

Earlier this week the popular Aroma coffee chain stopped selling two lychee-coconut iced drinks after finding possible listeria.

The chain, among the most popular coffee shops in the country, said in a statement that it had stopped selling the drink after “a routine check found suspicion of listeria in one of the batches.” It added that it hoped to go back to marketing it after completing an inspection of the factory.

Last week two salmon companies announced possible listeria contamination. The Neto Group, a large Israeli food conglomerate, said a shipment of salmon was found to contain the harmful bacteria. No fish from the tainted shipment made it to its factory, the company said, adding that all shipments are tested at the port before being released to the next destination.

Asian-inspired citrus salmon (Liz Rueven/JTA)

On Tuesday, the Maadaney Miki company told the public not to use its frozen salmon processed in July and August. Maadaney Miki alerted customers not to use salmon marked as made on 03/07/2016 with an expiration on 27/02/2017 or several sets of dates (05/07/2016, 01/03/2017; 07/07/2016, 03/03/2017; 14/07/2016, 10/03/2017; 02/08/2016, 29/03/2017; 04/08/2016, 31/03/2017) and to contact the company at 1-700-50-55-40.

Also this month, Salatey Shamir (Shamir Salads) said some of its tahini products supplied by the Prince Tahina company were contaminated with salmonella, had reached stores, and were likely eaten by consumers. Some 200 tons of Prince Tahina’s paste were marked for destruction and the dates of suspect products were publicized by Israeli media.

Only one day after the tahini story broke, Milotal Frozen Vegetables called for the return of all its frozen french fries, after lab tests found listeria contamination in the product.