Concerns over the potential presence of a toxic bacteria in the unmarked mason jars of brined lobster and crab products has prompted a recall in Canada.
The recall relates to 250- and 500-milileter jars of lobster and crab sold in in Tracadie, New Brunswick, Canada by Denis Losier and at G&D Supermarket in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The products may contain Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria behind botulism poisoning, according to a recall notice posted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
CFIA urged consumers to throw out the products in questions – which were sold through 13 November – or return them to the location where they were purchased.
Clostridium botulinum-contaminated “may not look or smell spoiled,” CFIA said, however, it can still cause illness. Adults afflicted with foodborne botulism can exhibit a variety of symptoms, including “facial paralysis or loss of facial expression, unreactive or fixed pupils, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision, difficulty speaking or including slurred speech, and a change in sound of voice, including hoarseness,” the agency noted. Affected children, meanwhile, may have difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, generalized weakness, and paralysis. Botulism does not cause a fever, and in severe cases, it can result in death.
A food safety investigation is being conducted by CFIA, which could lead to further recalled products, the agency said. No illnesses had been reported related to the consumption of the products in question as of 13 November.
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