Riad's Oliva Sesame Alert: Three Dips, Three Best-By Windows

What was recalled

A Connecticut food producer is recalling about 250 units of three prepared dips because sesame is not declared on the label. The company announcement and the FDA publication are both dated October 9, 2026.

The products are Riad's Oliva to Go Baba Ghanouj, Spicy Baba Ghanouj and Hummus, sold in clear plastic square containers with white and green labelling and a best-by date stamped on the side of the label. The published label photos show 14 ounce containers.

People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame risk a serious or life-threatening reaction if they eat these products, which is why a labelling problem becomes a recall.

Which dates to check

The notice gives a separate date window for each product.

Baba Ghanouj carries best-by dates from 10/10/26 through 10/14/26. Spicy Baba Ghanouj carries the same window. Hummus runs later, from 10/12/26 through 10/18/26.

Because the windows differ by product and overlap only partly, a shopper holding one of these containers has to match both the product name and the date. The date is printed on the side of the label rather than the lid, which is worth knowing before checking in a shop.

Where the products were sold

The recall covers distribution to gourmet shops and farm markets in Litchfield County, Connecticut, and the Great Barrington, Massachusetts area.

That is a small footprint, and it matches the volume: about 250 units. This is a local producer recall rather than a national grocery recall, so the question for a shopper is whether they bought one of these dips in those areas.

What customers should do

Consumers who bought any of the three products should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or a replacement.

Questions go to the company at 203-266-5558, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the products, according to the notice.

How the problem was found

The recall was initiated after an inspection revealed that sesame was not declared in the product ingredient declaration. The company says it has corrected its labelling since discovering the discrepancy.

The corrected labels apply to future production; units already shipped are being recalled.

Why an undeclared allergen triggers a recall

Under US labelling law, a packaged food containing a major food allergen must declare it, either through a "Contains" statement next to the ingredient list or by naming the food source in parentheses after the ingredient.

The law's findings record the reasoning: a 1999 FDA review of baked goods, ice cream and candy from randomly selected manufacturers found that 25% of sampled foods failed to list peanuts or eggs, and recalls over unlabelled allergens rose to 121 in 2000 from about 35 a decade earlier. The same findings note there is no cure for food allergies, so avoidance is the treatment.

Sesame in a dish like baba ghanouj is not unusual, since tahini is sesame paste and a standard ingredient. The problem here is that a shopper reading the label would not see it.

What the notice does not say

The announcement does not say which specific shops received the product, how long the affected units were on sale, or whether the corrected labelling changed any other part of the package.

It also publishes no lot code, so product name, best-by date and point of purchase are the identifiers available to a consumer.

No recall classification appears on the page either. The FDA explains that public notices are separate from its classification process and that classified recalls appear in the weekly Enforcement Report, so the absence of a class here reflects timing rather than severity.

For anyone who bought one of these dips in Litchfield County or around Great Barrington, the two-step check is the name on the container and the date on the side of the label.