Smoked Salmon Products Recalled Following Listeria Bacteria Concerns

Listeria monocytogenes. Courtesy of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Seafood firm Seven Seas International USA recalled several of its smoked salmon products due to concerns that they might be contaminated with infectious bacteria.

Seven Seas of St. Petersburg, Florida, is voluntarily recalling 295 cases of Biltmore Smoked Sockeye Salmon because of the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, according to a March 14 announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Listeria monocytogenes can cause severe and even fatal infections, especially among older adults, preschool children, and immunocompromised people. Among pregnant women, the disease can cause stillbirths and miscarriages.

Listeria monocytogenes is usually transmitted to humans when food is harvested, packaged, and stored in environments where bacteria are present.

Symptoms of the infection can range from mild ones like fever, vomiting, nausea, and muscle aches to more severe convulsions and loss of balance. Symptoms can last anywhere from days to weeks.

In the United States, past listeriosis outbreaks—a disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes—have been linked to raw or undercooked poultry, sausages, raw or smoked fish, unpasteurized milk and cheeses, and processed vegetables and fruits.

The longer ready-to-eat refrigerated foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes are stored in the refrigerator, the more opportunity the bacteria has to grow, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“To slow down or prevent the growth of L. monocytogenes, set the refrigerator to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) and the freezer to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius),” the agency says on its website.

FDA also advises pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with weak immune systems to avoid foods like unpasteurized raw milk, raw fish, and raw sprouts as they carry a “high risk” of Listeria monocytogenes.

The Recall

The Seven Seas recall for products sold before March 14, having the lot code R4058 printed on it. According to the company, products from other production codes are not affected by the recall.

“The issue was discovered through routine regulatory testing conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Consumers who have purchased this product with this lot code are being advised not to consume it and return it to the store where it was originally purchased for a full refund,” the announcement said.

A similar recall was issued in November last year when Seven Seas recalled 540 Giant Food Private Label Sockeye Smoked Salmon cases due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

In September 2022, St. James Smokehouse of Miami, Florida, recalled 93 cases of its smoked salmon packages citing the same issue.

Listeriosis Infection

Around 1,600 individuals get infected with listeriosis in the United States every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the agency, most people affected by listeriosis will require hospital care, with about one in five deaths.

Among pregnant women, listeriosis can result in fetal loss in around 20 percent of cases and newborn deaths in about 3 percent. During pregnancy, the bacteria can spread to the fetus through the placenta.

The CDC advises individuals who might have eaten food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes to seek medical attention in case they develop fever or other symptoms of listeriosis within two months after consuming the item.

Tests for the infection will involve checking for Listeria monocytogenes in blood, food, vomit, cerebrospinal fluid, and animal feed. In the case of babies, tests will check the meconium, the infant’s first poop.

Listeriosis is curable. Health care providers will likely prescribe antibiotics to resolve the infection. Antibiotics might be given soon after birth if a baby is born with a listeriosis infection.