‘Customer’ finds Listeria in Oskri Organics’ product; recall initiated

Oskri Organics Corp. is recalling tahini butter and sunflower butter, saying a “customer” randomly tested one of the products and found Listeria monocytogenes. Oskri did not indicate whether the customer was a consumer or a business entity.

The “customer” notified operators of the Lake Mills, WI, food company on Dec. 18 about the positive test results for the potentially deadly Listeria contamination, according to the Oskri recall notice posted Jan. 2 by the Food and Drug Administation.

“An investigation is still ongoing to find the source of the Listeria monocytogenes. We have ceased the production and distribution of the product as FDA and Oskri continue their investigation as to what caused the problem,” according to the company.

Federal officials have not received any confirmed reports of illnesses in connection with the recalled tahini butter or sunflower butters, but it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria monocytogenes for symptoms on infection to develop. Oskri Organics Corp. is urging anyone with the recalled products on hand in their homes to immediately destroy them.

There is concern consumers may have unopened jars of the peanut butter substitutes because of the long shelf life of the products, some of which have expiration dates more than a year away. Oskri distributed the products in a total of 12 states. Some products were sold direct to consumers via the internet.

All of the recalled butters are in plastic 16-ounce jars. The lot numbers are on either the top or bottom of the jars near the expiration date. Consumers can determine whether they have any of the recalled products by looking for the following:

• Oskri Organic Sunflower Butter is greenish-khaki color and is marked with an expiration date of “10-2019” Lot # 099, and a UPC number of 666016401295
• Oskri Tahini Butter is a light tan color and is marked with an expiration date of “1-2020” LOT # 193 and a UPC number of 666016401301
• Thrive Sunflower Butter is greenish khaki color marked with an expiration date of “2-2020” LOT # 233 and a UPC number of 671635704825 

Consumers with questions may contact Oskri at 920-648-8300 or via email at [email protected].

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)