A voluntary recall has been initiated for certain canned tuna products available nationwide at stores like Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Costco, and others, due to faulty packaging that could pose a serious risk of botulism food poisoning.
Tri-Union Seafoods, the manufacturer, issued the voluntary recall for a selected batch of canned tuna products sold under brand names Genova, Van Camp’s, Trader Joe’s and H-E-B, the California-based company and the Food and Drug Administration announced in a news release.
Botulism is caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria that can affect the nervous system and can lead to muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, and even death if not treated quickly. The bacteria can grow in improperly canned or preserved foods.
“The ‘easy open’ pull can lid on limited products encountered a manufacturing defect that may compromise the integrity of the seal (especially over time), causing it to leak, or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning,” Tri-Union Seafoods said, as per the official announcement.
Consumers are advised not to eat the canned tuna, even if it looks and smells fine.
Anyone feeling sick after consuming it should get medical help right away. So far, no illnesses have been reported, but the recall is being done as a safety precaution to protect consumers.
Recalled Canned Tuna Was Distributed To Different Stores Across Several States:
- H-E-B label in Texas.
- Trader Joe’s label in states like Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.
- Genova 7 oz. at Costco in Florida and Georgia.
- Genova 5 oz. at Harris Teeter, Publix, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, and other stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas.
- Van Camp’s label at Walmart and other stores in Pennsylvania, Florida, and New Jersey.
The company has released a list of specific can codes and Best if Used By dates affected in the recall. It further said that customers with recalled tuna can return it to the retailer for a full refund, dispose of it, or contact Tri-Union Seafoods directly for a retrieval kit and a coupon for a replacement product.
This recall does not impact any other Tri-Union Seafoods products, as no other product packaging was impacted by this potential defect.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are five main kinds of botulism: Foodborne, Wound, Infant, Iatrogenic, and Adult intestinal toxemia.
Safety Concerns That Led To Product Withdrawals In The Past
In 2022, Jif Peanut Butter recalled several peanut butter products nationwide due to potential Salmonella contamination. Multiple illnesses were reported across different states.
In 2021, Tyson Foods Chicken recalled nearly nine million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products after reports of three illnesses and one death.
Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough pulled several batches of cookie dough from store shelves to prevent potential health risks over possible contamination with rubber pieces in 2019 and wood fragments in 2023.
