The Miami, Florida, company St. James Smokehouse has issued a recall on 93 cases of their Scotch Reserve Scottish Smoked Salmon product due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall was issued after the Washington State Department of Agriculture found traces of Listeria bacteria during routine testing of finished product.
The recall is limited to 4 oz. packages of Scotch Reserve Scottish Smoked Salmon (Product of Scotland) with lot #123172 and UPC code 060022710356. The potentially contaminated Smoked Salmon product was distributed between February and June of 2022 in the following states: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Washington State, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as Safeway Washington State stores.
No illnesses have been reported due to consuming the potentially contaminated Smoked Salmon as of September 2, 2022. Consumers who have purchased one of the recalled products are urged to not consume it, rather dispose of it immediately or return it to the store of purchase for a full refund. For concerns and questions regarding the outbreak, consumers can call 305-461-0231 Monday through Friday between the business hours of 8am to 5pm EST.
According to the CDC, people with weakened immune systems, including pregnant women and their newborns, and those 65 and older, are at a higher risk for contracting listeriosis, the infection caused by ingesting Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. For those with weakened immune systems who wish to avoid Listeria infections, the CDC does recommend to not eat raw smoked fish products, such as the recalled St James Smoked Salmon product, though canned, shelf-stable, or cooked smoked fish products are considered safe.
Pregnant women are highly susceptible to listeriosis and are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection than others. As a result of a Listeria infection, pregnant women can pass the infection to their unborn baby, which can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, preterm labor, as well as serious illness and potential death in infants.
Listeria can cause both intestinal illness and invasive illness, which is when the infection spreads beyond the intestines. Symptoms of intestinal illness caused by Listeria generally begin 24 hours after ingesting food with Listeria bacteria and last 1-3 days, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting. In people who are not pregnant, invasive listeriosis infection symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, loss of balance, confusion, seizures, and flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue. In pregnant people, symptoms are usually mild and include fever and flu-like symptoms, though some pregnant people report no symptoms.
