Since tahini and its products have been linked toSalmonellaillness outbreaks and product recalls in
recent years, this study assessed the ability ofSalmonellaTyphimurium to survive or grow in commercial
tahini and when hydrated (10% w/v in water), treated with 0.1%e0.5% acetic or citric acids, and stored at
37, 21 and 10
C for 28 d.S.Typhimurium survived in commercial tahini up to 28 d but was reduced in
numbers from 1.7 to 3.3 log10CFU/ml. However, in the moist or hydrated tahini, significant growth ofS.
Typhimurium occurred at the tested temperatures. Acetic and citric acids at0.5% reducedS.Typhimurium by 2.7e4.8 log10CFU/ml and 2.5e3.8 log10CFU/ml, respectively, in commercial tahini at 28 d. In
hydrated tahini the organic acids were more effective.S.Typhimurium cells were not detected in the
presence of 0.5% acetic acid after 7 d or with 0.5% citric acid after 21 d at the tested temperatures. The
ability ofS.Typhimurium to grow or survive in commercial tahini and products containing hydrated
tahini may contribute to salmonellosis outbreaks; however, use of acetic and citric acids in ready-to-eat
foods prepared from tahini can significantly minimize the risk associated with this pathogen.