Multiple Seafood Recalls Were Just Declared

Two major recalls were just issued impacting at least three popular seafood products. One is relevant to the southeastern U.S. while the other pertains to northeastern Canada. They apply to prawn and crab meat products available widely at grocery stores in the areas.

On Thursday, the seafood industry issued two recalls that have some consumers concerned. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration publicized a recall from Irvington Seafood Inc. for its 1-pound packages of "Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Claw meat." These may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Meanwhile, the Canadian government issued a recall for Tri-Star Seafood Supply Ltd.'s "Live Spot Prawn" as well as "Fresh Spot Prawn." These may be contaminated with norovirus.

In the U.S., the recalled crabmeat was sold in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. These products could have been distributed outside of those states as well. The 1-pound containers should be marked with the license number "AL 111-C" and the company name, Irvington Seafood. To determine whether the recall applies to your groceries, check for the batch numbers 130, 131, 132, 134, 137, 139, 141, 144, 145, 146,148 or 150 printed on the bottom.

Up in Canada, the recall applies to all Fresh Spot Prawn sold at Tri-Star Seafood Supply in Richmond, BC on May 20 and May 21, as well as all Fresh Spot Prawn sold in at Delux Seafood Vancouver in Vancouver, BC from May 20 through May 24. The Live Spot Prawn impacted by this recall should have the code "CA001-1542" to identify it.

In both cases, public health officials have contacted distributors and hopefully caught much of this product before it was in the hands of consumers. If you find that you are in possession of recalled food, you can dispose of it or return it to the point of purchase for a full refund.

Listeria is one of the more common causes of food recalls. It is an organism that can cause listeriosis – an infection that is mild in most people but can be extremely dangerous for young children, elderly people, immunocompromised people or pregnant people. It is known to cause gastrointestinal distress, fever and sometimes stillbirths or miscarriages.

Norovirus is also a gastrointestinal illness that typically begins to show its effects within 24 to 48 hours after consumption. Seek medical attention from a doctor if you are showing any symptoms or believe you may have been infected with one of these illnesses.