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Sesame seed products contaminated with Salmonella: three outbreaks associated with tahini

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2005

L. E. UNICOMB ,
G. SIMMONS ,
T. MERRITT ,
J. GREGORY ,
C. NICOL ,
P. JELFS ,
M. KIRK ,
A. TAN ,
R. THOMSON  and
J. ADAMOPOULOS
...Show all authors
L. E. UNICOMB
Affiliation:
OzFoodNet, Hunter Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales (NSW), Australia
G. SIMMONS
Affiliation:
Auckland Regional Public Health Service, Auckland, New Zealand
T. MERRITT
Affiliation:
OzFoodNet, Hunter Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales (NSW), Australia
J. GREGORY
Affiliation:
Victorian Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
C. NICOL
Affiliation:
Enteric Reference Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR) Kenepuru Science Centre Porirua, New Zealand
P. JELFS
Affiliation:
Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia
M. KIRK
Affiliation:
OzFoodNet, Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra, Australia
A. TAN
Affiliation:
Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
R. THOMSON
Affiliation:
New South Wales Food Authority, Silverwater, NSW, Australia
J. ADAMOPOULOS
Affiliation:
OzFoodNet, Victorian Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
C. L. LITTLE
Affiliation:
Health Protection Agency Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London, UK
A. CURRIE
Affiliation:
Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division, Health Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
C. B. DALTON
Affiliation:
OzFoodNet, Hunter Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales (NSW), Australia
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Abstract

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In November 2002, the first of three outbreaks of Salmonella Montevideo infection in Australia and New Zealand was identified in New South Wales, Australia. Affected persons were interviewed, and epidemiologically linked retail outlets inspected. Imported tahini was rapidly identified as the source of infection. The contaminated tahini was recalled and international alerts posted. A second outbreak was identified in Australia in June–July 2003 and another in New Zealand in August 2003. In a total of 68 S. Montevideo infections, 66 cases were contacted. Fifty-four (82%) reported consumption of sesame seed-based foods. Laboratory analyses demonstrated closely related PFGE patterns in the S. Montevideo isolates from human cases and sesame-based foods imported from two countries. On the basis of our investigations sesame-based products were sampled in other jurisdictions and three products in Canada and one in the United Kingdom were positive for Salmonella spp., demonstrating the value of international alerts when food products have a wide distribution and a long shelf life. A review of the controls for Salmonella spp. during the production of sesame-based products is recommended.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 133 , Issue 6 , December 2005 , pp. 1065 - 1072
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press