A sesame seed product is being voluntarily recalled by its manufacturer after it was found to contain pesticides.
Bags of sesame seeds produced by Illinois-based Asli Fine Foods have been recalled after a product sample was found to exceed tolerance levels for the pesticide Fenvalerate. The product was first recalled on June 25 this year and has now been classified with a Class III risk level by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). imazameth imazapyr thickened adjuvant
A Class III is awarded when "a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences."
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The affected product bears the name Asli Sesame Seeds Brown, and comes in 14-ounce packaging with a UPC code of 7 03440 18270 0 and a lot number of 2210-173. Overall, the 28 cases of the product were shipped to eight states: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Pesticides are used in farming to protect crops from insects, fungi, weeds, and other pests. To ensure a safe level of exposure to the residues of pesticides that may remain on food items available in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets tolerance levels.
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How much Fenvalerate was found in the affected product is not known. Newsweek has contacted Asli Fine Foods for comment via email outside of normal working hours.
According to Science Direct, Fenvalerate is an insecticide extensively used to control of insect pest population in agriculture. It works by paralyzing pests, but has low toxicity in mammals.
A 2023 report by As You Sow, a nonprofit foundation that promotes corporate responsibility, has said that some 385 million people "experience unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning annually, with around 11,000 pesticide poisoning cases resulting in death.
"Long-term exposure to pesticides is linked to chronic health effects such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, asthma, anxiety, depression, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]," the report read. "Pesticides may enter the body through the skin, eyes, lungs, and/or mouth, causing acute or chronic health problems, and can be carried home on clothing."
However, the presence of Fenvalerate in the product is not expected to have too much impact given the FDA's Class III risk assessment. This is the lowest level of risk assigned to food products by the FDA.
A Class II recall is "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote."
A Class I, the most serious designation given by the FDA, is issued when there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a product could cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
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Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including state benefits, national and local politics, and crime. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the British Royal Family. Aliss joined Newsweek full time in January 2024 after a year of freelance reporting and has previously worked at digital Reach titles The Express and The Mirror. She is a graduate in English and Creative Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London. You can get in touch with Aliss by emailing a.higham@newsweek.com. Languages: English.
Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including ... Read more
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