Fish sold in multiple U.S. states have been urgently recalled because they may have been contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that can cause illness or death.
P. East Trading Corp. is recalling its Salted Smoked Split Herring, according to a press release shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday.
The product is five inches in length and uneviscerated, meaning they had not had its internal organs removed. According to the FDA, the recalled fish may contain Clostridium botulinum spores that cause botulism, “as they are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish.”
Botulism is a rare but serious condition caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves. Symptoms include general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, trouble with speaking or swallowing, difficulty in breathing, abdominal distension, and constipation.
The recall came after the Salted Smoked Split Herring was sampled by a New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspector. A subsequent analysis of the product confirmed that the “herring was not properly eviscerated prior to processing.”
There have been no reported illnesses so far.
The recalled fish was sold at retail locations in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. It was sold in 18-pound wooden boxes with the container code Lot 1 PRC5073.
However, the FDA noted that the product could have been repacked by retail store workers in “deli-style or other retail packaging.” A specific list of the stores that received and potentially sold the herring can be found here.
Consumers are urged not to eat the recalled herring. Instead, they should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.
This isn’t the only product that’s been recalled due to a risk of botulinum. In April, Walker’s Wine Juice recalled its pumpkin juice, sold in 12 states, because it may have contained the potentially fatal form of food poisoning.
The recall was issued after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors discovered the juice’s pH was “too high to be processed per Walker’s ‘hot fill’ schedule process.”
The recall applied to all lots of Walker’s Wine Juice’s 2.5-gallon bag in a box and 5-gallon hot pack labeled “pumpkin” in addition to their 30-, 60-, and 275-gallon bulk containers also labeled “pumpkin.”
The last two years have also seen an alarming and unexplained rise in recalls. In 2024, approximately 300 food recalls were issued, with those recalls being linked to nearly 1,400 illnesses, a Public Interest Research Group report revealed.
Out of the 1,400 illnesses, 487 people became sick enough to require hospitalization, and 19 people died. While those numbers are still low when weighed against the entire U.S. population, they are also double the number of hospitalizations and deaths from food-borne illnesses in 2023.
In May, cucumbers sold across the country were recalled after people in 15 states reported getting ill from salmonella. Florida-based Bedner Growers, Inc. recalled the vegetables distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. from April 29 to May 19.
