Salmonella tainted hummus recalled from UK supermarkets

Zorba Delicacies have recalled all of its chickpea-based products since they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. All the items with the use-by-date of November 17 need to be returned to the supermarkets which they had been bought from. Food Standards Agency (FSA) has put up notices across the United Kingdom to ensure that customers do not end up with the tainted, salmonella causing dips.

The Welsh dip producing company, Zorba Delicacies, supplies its products to most major supermarkets in the UK. Sainsbury's, Asda, Iceland, Aldi, Morrisons and Lidl are some of the stores from where customers buy their Zorba Delicacies produced dips.

The types of hummus being recalled range from low-fat hummus to spice-infused hummus. Earlier, the company had recalled only the hummus which had the use-by-date of November 7. However, further testing has shown that batches with use-by-dates until November 17 can be contaminated.

The FSA website has a full and updated list of the products which are unsafe for consumption.

Consumption of the contaminated hummus can allow the salmonella bacteria to enter the body of the consumer. Once consumed, the salmonella bacteria will cause food poisoning in most cases. Children, elderly people and those with immunity disorders can have an adverse reaction. If a consumer has fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, it is likely that they have been infected.

According to Sky News, the FSA has put up notices in supermarkets alerting people about the contaminated product and the consequence of consuming it. The notice also informs customers that if they have already bought the contaminated product, they can get a refund by returning it to the store they bought it from. At the same time, the FSA has taken the contaminated batches off the shelves.

Zorba Delicacies' statement pointed out that this was the first time in 15 years that the company had to recall products. It blamed a third-party supplier for the contaminated ingredients. Multiple rounds of tests on batches conducted by the manufacturer hinted at the presence of salmonella. Zorba Delicacies informed the FSA and took the call to recall the products.