The food safety agency for the U.S. State of Maine is warning about potential salmonella contamination found in products sold by Deer Isle, Maine-based Hardie’s Crabmeat.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating five cases of salmonellosis, including two hospitalizations, it said it believes was caused by consumers eating tainted Hardie’s Crabmeat seafood products.
The crabmeat was sold at “multiple locations” around Maine, the CDC said in a press release. The agency did not list the retailers’ names. The CDC is recommending that consumers discard packages of Hardie’s Crabmeat they purchased between 15 June and 15 August.
“Freezing does not destroy the bacteria that causes the illness,” the Maine CDC said.
The owners of Hardie’s Crabmeat have addressed investigators’ concerns about the contaminated crabmeat “and there is no evidence that crabmeat currently being sold poses a risk if consumed,” the Maine CDC said.
An investigation by Maine CDC and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) found that the crabmeat was most likely contaminated during preparation and packaging.
Photo courtesy of Downeast Dayboat
