The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has issued a sesame seed recall covering more than 40 products after Salmonella was found in batches sold by Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Gem Pack. The recall, issued on 8 August 2026, covers loose salads, prepacked sandwiches and wraps, and raw sesame seeds sold across the country.
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What the Sesame Seed Recall Covers
This sesame seed recall falls into three groups. Dunnes Stores’ Baxter & Greene range accounts for the largest share, with 43 products pulled because they contain sesame seeds. These include:
- Prepacked sandwiches, wraps and salads sold nationwide
- Salad bar items available in most stores
- Additional salad bar lines sold only at the Ilac Centre and St Stephen’s Green stores
- A separate salad bar line exclusive to the Cornelscourt store
SuperValu’s own-brand products were also affected. The retailer’s 200g Seed Mix was recalled across batch codes 163 and 166 (best before May 2027) and batch 191 (best before June 2027). A separate alert covered SuperValu Sesame Seeds 200g, batch codes 167 and 168.
The third strand covers Gem Pack and its supply partners. Recalled lines include:
- Gem Sesame Seeds 1kg (batch codes 155 and 177)
- Sysco Sesame Seeds 1kg (four separate batch codes)
- Sesame Seeds 25kg (two lot numbers)
- Sowans Sesame Seeds 100g (batch code 155)
Retailers were told to strip the implicated batches from sale and display point-of-sale recall notices. Consumers who bought any of the listed products were advised not to eat them.
Health Risk and Symptoms
Salmonella infection typically causes symptoms within 12 to 36 hours of exposure, though the onset can range from 6 to 72 hours. Common symptoms include:
- Diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody
- Fever and headache
- Abdominal cramps
Illness usually resolves within four to seven days, though diarrhoea can occasionally be severe enough to require hospital admission. Older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of serious illness and should take particular care to avoid the recalled batches.
What This Means for Food Businesses
A sesame seed recall like this one puts pressure on every point in the supply chain, not just the retailer named on the label. Wholesalers and distributors carrying any of the affected batch codes are required to contact customers directly and issue their own point-of-sale notices. Caterers using bulk sesame seeds, including the 25kg lots covered by this recall, must stop using implicated stock immediately.
For food businesses further down the chain, incidents like this are a reminder that raw ingredients bought in from third-party suppliers carry the same contamination risk as finished products. Routine microbiological testing of incoming raw materials, particularly imported seeds, nuts and grains, gives businesses an early warning before a contaminated batch reaches customers rather than after a recall notice does.
Southern Scientific’s microbiological food safety testing services cover Salmonella detection across raw ingredients, finished products and swabs, helping food manufacturers, retailers and caterers verify supplier batches before they go on sale. For businesses handling imported seeds and dry goods, that kind of routine testing is what moves food safety from reactive crisis management to proactive protection.
