Sabra, the world's largest hummus manufacturer, declared on April 8, Wednesday, that they are recalling 30,000 cases of its famous classic hummus dip because of the contamination with Listeria bacteria, Regal Tribune reported.
Listeria monocytogenes is a harmful genus of bacteria that is known to have been the cause of several deaths in the past. On April 7, Tuesday, Blue Bell Creameries removed a huge quantity of ice-cream from the market after some of their products were tested and found to contain Listeria. Three out of eight people poisoned with Listeria died after consuming the infected products. However, in the case of Sabra, no people were reported dead.
Classic hummus that comes in cases of 32-ounce, 30-ounce, 23 - ounce, 17-ounce and 10-ounce have been recalled by the hummus company. The company discovered the problem when a routine sample collected at a retail store by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development tested positive for the bacteria. However, company officials said that so far, no illnesses have been reported and no other products have been affected.
The representatives of the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said that foods that have been infected with Listeria bacteria may have harmful effects on a person's immune system and can cause Listeriosis disease. Some of the symptoms of Listeria infection include nausea, serious abdominal pain, fever, splitting headaches and diarrhea.
People with weakened immune systems are the mostly affected ones, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Among these are people infected with HIV, the elderly and children. Moreover, Listeria infection can cause stillbirths and miscarriages among pregnant women.