The Minnesota Department of Health announced that two children have become ill with Salmonella poisoning linked to Krinos brand tahini. This is a product that was recalled earlier in May. At the time of the recall, the FDA said there had been no illnesses connected to the tahini. The childrens’ illnesses were caused by two separate strains of bacteria found in the recalled tahini.

According to the FDA, the tahini recall initially occurred on April 28 after Salmonella Montevideo was found by the Michigan Department of Agriculture in a routine sampling. The FDA then found Salmonella Mbandaka in the same tahini brand, thus resulting in the official May recall. The strains have the same DNA of an outbreak that affected several people in a number of states.

In the Minnesota cases, one of the infections matches the Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak and the other matches the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak. Neither child has had to be hospitalized. Both children are recovering at home and are so far doing well.

The recalled tahini product is of the Krinos brand and it is a sesame paste. It was distributed all over the United States. The tahini is sold in 1 pound glass jars and 2 pound glass jars. There are also 40 pound plastic pails. The expiration dates for the affected products range from January 1, 2014 to June 8 2014, as well as October 16, 2014 and March 15, 2015. If you have the product in any of the sizes with the aforementioned expiration dates, you are encouraged to dispose of it immediately.

If you purchased the product, consumed it, and experienced Salmonella symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention. The symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. The bacteria is known to cause fatal infections and long-term problems that can be quite severe, especially in young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with compromised immune systems.