Hummus is the new fad food, but what exactly qualifies as the dip?
The Food and Drug administration has been petitioned to set a standard to force companies that produce hummus stick to similar recipes.
According to the Huffington Post, Sabra Dipping, the largest producer of the middle eastern dip, has asked the FDA to define hummus as a "semisolid food prepared from mixing cooked, dehydrated or dried chickpeas and tahini."
The company said that the popularity of hummus has brought dips with the name to market, but with none of the key ingrediant - chickpeas - in it. Some companies use, according to the petition, other legumes like black beans, soybeans or lentils in place of chickpeas, to make their hummus. The filing also cites that other companies replace tahini with yogurt or vegetables.
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According to Fox News, the FDA can define specific foods and has set standards on sherbert, cream cheese and jelly.
Earlier this month, Trader Joes and Target recalled nearly 15,000 pounds of hummus over possible listeria contamination. It was produced by Lansal Inc.
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