It's a heads-up for customers and restaurant establishments alike, and it's related to another widespread recall concern.
More Sauces Have Been Recalled in Multiple States at the Highest Risk Level
Published on Jan. 06, 2025
The number of product recalls in 2024 helped reveal how few farms and suppliers provide such mass quantities of certain foods for large sections of country. The McDonald’s e. Coli onion problem and the series of meat recalls were a couple striking examples.
And just as you might be prioritizing lighter fare and more produce at the start of the new year, a healthier version of creamy dip sauce is reinforcing caution related to a recent cucumber safety issue.
In a series of recall notices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last month that several tzatziki sauces had tested positive for Salmonella contamination.
Now, on January 3, 2025, the health authority updated their reports to designate the incident a Class I risk level—the highest risk in their three-tier system used to alert the public to health or safety concerns. This suggests that there is a high likelihood that the recalled foods could cause serious illness or even death.
Given the wholesale-size quantities and names on the list below such as US Foods and Sysco—two of the nation’s biggest food distribution companies—along with the growing fast-casual chain Nick the Greek, it appears that this recall was limited to restaurant businesses. It’s not clear whether product expiry dates have passed.
In total, more than 8,000 cases of tzatziki sauce were subject to recall across at least 29 states: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The affected items were manufactured by Grecian Delight/Kronos and Olympia, two Illinois companies located just nine miles apart. These included:
- Grecian Delight Tzatziki sauce, 3.75 lb. tub, UPC 07365000286, SKU SAL028, 4 tubs per case
- Sysco Classic Tzatziki sauce, 3.75 lb. tub, UPC 074865886277, SKU SAL9669136, 4 tubs per case
- US Foods Chef’s Line Greek Yogurt Tzatziki 4lbs tub, UPC 758108679962, SKU SAL519448, 2 tubs per case
- Nick The Greek Tzatziki Pail, 42lbs pail, UPC 10075365177787, SKU SA000084
- Nick The Greek Spicy Yogurt Pail, 42lbs pail, UPC 10075365177756, SKU SA000085
- Olympia Foods Grecian Dip Tzatziki sauce, item 100, 4 lb. tubs, UPC 10045059001001, 4 tubs per case; item 104, 32lbs pail, UPC 00045059001042
Salmonella poisoning is the most common form of bacterial food poisoning found in the United States, and according to national experts is responsible for 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths across the nation each year. Common symptoms of Salmonella poisoning, which typically emerge between six hours and six days after infection, include but are not limited to fever, stomach pains, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches. Infants, seniors, and people with compromised immune systems are at the greatest risk of serious illness or death resulting from exposure to salmonella.
It is not immediately clear from the recall notices whether the present recalls are directly related to an ongoing Salmonella outbreak traced back to cucumbers. The CDC says that so far, at least 100 cases of salmonellosis have been confirmed in relation to that outbreak, including 25 hospitalizations. The resulting recalls have affected fresh cucumbers, party trays of vegetables, pre-made meal kits, sauces, and more.
Tzatziki is a traditional Greek yogurt-based sauce typically blended with such ingredients as finely sliced cucumber, olive oil, dill, salt, pepper, and paprika. It often tops gyros and other ethnic dishes, but can also be served as a healthier alternative to dips for vegetables, pita, and more.
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