Several major British supermarkets have announced the recall of hummus dips amid fears of a possible salmonella contamination.
The supermarkets, which include Sainsbury's, Aldi, Asda, Lidl and Morrisons, followed suit last week's recall by Zorba Foods of hummus products due to a possible salmonella contamination.
The recall, which encompasses products with use-by dates of up to November 17, is being monitored by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA has released a full list of products affected by the recall as well as the stores that carry them.
Zorba Foods pointed the issue to a third-party supplier and said that "the issue was identified during our testing procedure" and an analysis "quickly pinpointed the likely source as being from a batch of ingredient supplied by a third-party."
The company added: "The existence of salmonella was found in a limited volume of hummus that was produced. We immediately alerted the FSA and instructed customers to remove product from all outlets. We continue to work with the FSA on this matter."
Salmonella infection, symptoms and treatment
Salmonellosis, the infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella, is among the most frequently reported food-borne illnesses but rarely affects the food's taste, smell or appearance. Salmonella bacteria typically settle in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces.
The disease's typical symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, which usually start to manifest within six hours to four days after infection. Salmonellosis can be treated in three to seven days, and mild cases often do not require professional treatment.
However, there are a few varieties of salmonella bacteria that can cause typhoid fever, a sometimes deadly disease that is more common in developing countries.
In July, Pita Pal Foods initiated a similar recall in the US, after it pulled 87 types of hummus products over concerns about potential listeria contamination.
