Throw That Sabra Hummus in Your Fridge Away Right Now

Better go check your fridge: Sabra, one of America’s most ubiquitous brands of hummus, is recalling dozens of products due to a listeria scare. The recall includes 57 varieties, or the vast majority of its product line — basically, everything except “Sabra Organic Hummus, Sabra Salsa, Sabra Guacamole and Sabra Greek Yogurt Dips.”

As the FDA recall notice explains, Sabra “is issuing this recall out of an abundance of caution.” While listeria bacteria was found at the manufacturing facility where the majority of its products are made, it has not been identified in any of the finished products.

Sabra posted a statement to its website following news of the recall, which reads in part:

We have invested heavily in technology and enhancing our processes and protocols, with guidance and input from external experts, to develop and put in place industry-leading food safety procedures, such as testing finished product from the production line every two minutes for pathogens including listeria. We want to reassure our consumers that our procedures include extensive finished product testing, and no products tested positive for contaminants. We are taking action because consumer safety is a top priority.

Subsequent to the inspection conducted with the FDA, we implemented a thorough and extensive factory-wide cleaning and sanitation procedure, and beyond that, we continue to work very closely with internal and external food safety experts to identify any additional steps we can take to even further enhance our efforts.

This isn’t the first time the hummus manufacturer has recalled its products over listeria fears: In April 2015, it recalled 30,000 cases of product due to possible contamination. In both instances, there have been no reported illnesses.

Listeria-related recalls have plagued a number of ice cream companies recently, including chef Nancy Silverton’s gelato line. The most infamous of these incidents involved Texas-based Blue Bell; the company’s listeria-contaminated products resulted in three deaths.

• Sabra Issues Voluntary Recall Of Certain Hummus Products [FDA.gov]
• More DOH Coverage [E]