Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.-based Northeast Seafood Products has recalled several fresh seafood products and temporarily shut down production after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration traced a major salmonella outbreak to the supplier.
The FDA, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local authorities in Colorado, are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Thompson infections linked to Northeast Seafood Products’ facility.
Northeast has temporarily shut down production and has recalled several fresh seafood products distributed to Albertsons, Safeway, and Sprouts, as well as to restaurants, from May through 7 October.
The recalled products, which had been sold in retailers’ fresh cases, include haddock, monkfish, bone-in trout, grouper, red snapper, red rock cod, ocean perch, Pacific cod, halibut, coho salmon, Atlantic salmon portions, lane snapper, tilapia, All-Natural Salmon Fillet, Pacific sole, and farm raised striped bass.
The salmonella outbreak has resulted in 102 illnesses and 19 hospitalizations, according to an FDA press release. According to the CDC, the majority of sick people are either Colorado residents or reported traveling to Colorado during the week they got sick. Only two people did not report traveling to Colorado during the week they got sick.
CDC’s analysis indicated that seafood is the leading hypothesis for the cause of illnesses linked to this outbreak, then FDA’s traceback investigation identified Northeast Seafood Products as a common distributor among illness subclusters.
The agency collected environmental samples from Northeast Seafood Products on 7 October that tested positive for Salmonella Thompson and were determined to match to the outbreak strain through whole genome sequencing, the FDA said.
“The production area of our facility has been temporarily shut down until such time as the FDA and the company determine that the problem has been corrected,” Northeast said in a press release.
Consumers who have purchased raw, fresh, unpackaged seafood are urged to return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund, Northeast said.
“Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any recalled seafood. FDA recommends that anyone who might have purchased or received recalled product check their refrigerators and freezers and throw away recalled product,” the FDA said.
