FDA WARNING_LETTER - Turkana Food Inc. - June 06, 2025

The FDA issued a Warning Letter to Turkana Food Inc. following inspections conducted between May 27 and June 06, 2025, with prior inspections in late 2024 and mid-2023. The inspections aimed to assess compliance with the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) regulations under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which ensure imported foods meet U.S. safety standards. The company was found in significant non-compliance regarding imported Tahini, Halva products, and Crushed Hot Red Pepper Spice. A primary concern stemmed from a February 2025 recall of Tahini due to Salmonella contamination. Turkana Food Inc. failed to document corrective actions taken after this recall and did not promptly investigate the adequacy of its FSVP in response to the contamination. Furthermore, the company continued to import products containing Tahini from the implicated foreign supplier without properly determining or documenting whether such continued importation was appropriate. Another violation involved resuming imports from a different foreign supplier previously discontinued, without conducting and documenting a required performance evaluation and approval. Although Turkana Food Inc. submitted a response outlining planned corrective measures, the FDA was unable to evaluate their adequacy due to a lack of supporting documentation. The FDA requires prompt action to correct these violations and prevent recurrence, along with a detailed written response providing evidence of all corrective actions taken or planned.