The pills a New Freedom, Pa., family reported finding in Gorton's fish fillets were harmless over-the-counter herbal supplements, and the incident remains isolated, the Gloucester, Mass., company said yesterday.
Gorton's on March 1 voluntarily recalled about 1,000 cases of its 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets, which were distributed in 11 states.
"It certainly has had some effect" on the company, Gorton's spokesman Judson Reis told the Associated Press. "The exact amount is difficult to ascertain."
Tracy Rowan called police on Feb. 24 to report both she and her 9-year-old daughter discovered the pills in their mouths as they ate dinner. Rowan, her daughter and her 10-year-old son were examined at a local hospital but were not sickened. The frozen fish fillets were prepared by the daughter, who insists she did not alter the food.
Food and Drug Administration spokesman Brad Swezey declined to comment on the investigation into what he called "suspected tampering." Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jerri Williams told the AP the agency is trying to determine if a crime occurred.
