Foodstuffs South Island Limited has been fined NZD 39,000 for selling hummus products that were recalled due to the possible presence of Salmonella.
The company was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on one charge under the Food Act 2014, following a successful prosecution by New Zealand Food Safety.
"This was a major recall of nearly 83,000 units of hummus products. However, Foodstuffs South Island sold 39 of the affected units to consumers. These should have been removed from shelves to minimise risk," said deputy-director general Vincent Arbuckle.
"Food recalls are done to protect consumers from potential harm. People rightly expect food businesses to conduct them effectively and efficiently. On this occasion there was a significant failure in Foodstuffs South Island’s recall system and product subject to the recall was distributed to stores for sale to the public."
In February 2023, Foodstuffs South Island was notified by a supplier that a batch of tahini used in hummus products tested positive for Salmonella.
This led to a number of product recalls, as any product made with that tahini was considered potentially contaminated. This involved a total of 82,740 units of affected hummus products.
"While there were no confirmed reports of associated illnesses, we are committed to holding food businesses to account to ensure food recalls go smoothly so that risk to consumers is minimised."
The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Food businesses need to have in place robust recall systems and test them regularly.
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