In late February, the Florida Department of Health issued a recall on one of the state’s most prominent oyster producing regions after oysters harvested from Cedar Key in Levy County were found to contain Salmonella. By February 28th, 8 people had been reported to have contracted food poisoning across the three southern states of Florida, Alabama, and Georgia after eating infected oysters from the region The likely number of ill persons is much higher as many food poisoning cases go unreported.
According to USA Today, the recall of potentially contaminated salmonella oysters was put into effect on February 24th, 2023. The FDA advised consumers not to eat any potentially contaminated salmonella oysters harvested from this county, dating back to December 16th. Harvesting wild oysters was suspended in Cedar Key, FL-3012, as of February 24th. There was no definite answer, at that time, as to when the FDA would reinstate shellfish harvesting in the county.
Oysters containing Salmonella bacteria may not look, smell, or taste abnormal.
Infected oysters are known to have been distributed to restaurants and retailers in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Further distribution is possible. Harvest area information can be found on product packaging. Consumers are advised to check their packaging to see where their oysters originated. Likewise, restaurants should be able to provide this information to their customers.
According to CDC, someone infected with Salmonella from oysters or any other food may begin to experience symptoms between a couple of hours and for up to 6 days after being infected. They symptoms can last for 10 days to two weeks, and in some cases even longer. Symptoms include: diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, and dehydration. If symptoms last longer than 6 days or begin to escalate, it is recommended victims contact a doctor and have a stool culture performed.
According to one national salmonella lawyer, Ron Simon, “if you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection, contact your doctor immediately. Often, symptoms will persist for about a week but can remain for longer periods of time and can even be life-threatening.” Simon, who has handled food poisoning litigation nation-wide for decades, stated: “Shellfish has been a common source of Salmonella in coastal states. Restaurants and retailers have a responsibility to be aware of and obey food recalls like the one in Cedar Key. This is all the more so when selling raw oysters due to the increased risk of salmonella. We have represented thousands of clients in salmonella lawsuits because people fail to follow proper food safety guidelines.“
