If you picked up a packet of Tesco sesame seeds recently, it might be worth checking your cupboard before you use them.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued a recall on specific batches of Tesco sesame seeds after salmonella was detected in the product. Shoppers are being urged to stop using the affected batches immediately and return them to their nearest Tesco store for a full refund.
Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can cause serious illness, particularly in vulnerable groups like young children, elderly people, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system. Symptoms typically include fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea, and in more severe cases can lead to hospitalisation.
The recall was posted on the FSAI website as part of its ongoing product alert system, which monitors food safety issues across Ireland. The authority works with retailers and food businesses to pull unsafe products quickly once a risk has been identified.
Tesco has cooperated with the recall process. Customers who have purchased the affected sesame seeds are advised not to consume them under any circumstances, even if the seeds look and smell completely normal. Salmonella contamination is not visible to the naked eye and gives no obvious signs that a product is unsafe.
Anyone who has already eaten the seeds and is feeling unwell is encouraged to contact their GP, especially if symptoms like persistent stomach upset or fever develop in the days following consumption.
The FSAI regularly publishes food alerts and recalls on its website at fsai.ie, where consumers can check the specific batch numbers involved and find out more about what to do if they have the product at home. Keeping an eye on that page is a handy habit, particularly for households that buy a lot of packaged or imported food products.
This kind of recall, while concerning, is also a sign that food safety monitoring systems are working as they should. Catching contamination before it causes widespread harm is exactly what these systems are designed to do.