Banner Smoked Fish Inc. Expands Product Recall Due to Potential Listeria Contamination
On June 2, 2021, Banner Smoked Fish Inc. announced a voluntary recall on 42 of its Smoked Fish Products (including Salmon, Lox, Trout, and others) due to their potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes are a type of bacteria which can cause mild to severe infection in young children, adults 65 years or older, or those with weakened immune systems, however, healthy individuals typically recover from listeriosis without any major complications. Invasive listeriosis generally manifests itself within 1 to 4 weeks of consumption of the contaminated food or drink. The most common symptoms of listeriosis include “flu-like” symptoms of headache, fever, diarrhea, and muscle aches.
The potential concern for Listeria contamination of Banner Smoked Fish products was first addressed after a routine FDA facility inspection. The routine inspection identified that the products were being processed under unsanitary conditions within the facility. To date, there have been no reported cases of illness related to these products. The Banner Fish products recall is intended to prevent any illnesses from occurring due to this issue, as well as to give the company the opportunity to fix the unsanitary conditions within their facility.
The Banner Smoked Fish Recall has been expanded twice since its first publication, as more products have been determined to have potentially been contaminated. The current recall includes 84 fish products sold under the Banner Smoked Fish brand and others, including all its Smoked Fish, Salads, Pickled Fish Products, and Cream Sauce products within their expiration dates. The products of concern have been distributed to retailers and other distributors, as well as sold online in NY, NJ, IL, PA, CA, FL, NE, AZ, MA, MD, VA, OH, NV, OR, WI, MI, WA, NC, SC, and GA area.
The recalled products are packaged in various sizes in both air and vacuum packages. For identification purposes, the lot number and sell by date can be located on the back of the package. A complete list of the Banner Smoked Fish products, as well as pictures of the products’ packaging and labels, can be viewed here.
https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/symptoms.html
https://lifehacker.com/check-the-fish-in-your-fridge-it-could-be-part-of-a-ma-1847038851
