Potentially life-threatening illness warning: Tuna products sold at Costco, Walmart, Trader Joe's recalled
The recalled tuna products were sold in over a dozen American states and Washington D.C. through major retail chains like Costco, Walmart, Kroger and more.
The Food and Drug Administration’s long-running food caution saga has now knocked at the gates of US retail chain stores Costco, Walmart, H-E-B, Kroger, Trader Joe’s and more. Fears of a potentially fatal form of food poisoning consuming a number of states took over after Tri-Union Seafoods supplier recalled several canned tuna products of its volition after discovering a manufacturing defect that could lead to botulism.
As of February 7, the company sounded the alarm with “an abundance of caution,” notifying the FDA that a manufacturing flaw had resulted in “easy open” pull tabs on the lids of the tuna products. The company revealed that the compromised integrity of the product seal was risking food leaks or contamination with clostridium botulinum, a bacteria that could trigger botulism.
What is botulism?
The disease may be rare, but that doesn’t detract from its potentially life-threatening aftermath. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, a toxin made by Clostridium botulinum and related bacteria – all naturally occurring in many places – attacks the body’s nerves, eventually causing difficulty in breathing, muscle paralysis and even death.
The official CDC website particularly calls out improperly home-canned, preserved or fermented foods for providing the right conditions for bacteria-created spores to grow and make botulinum toxin.
Botulism symptoms
“When people eat these foods, they can become seriously ill, or even die, if they don't get proper medical treatment quickly,” warns the CDC.
Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism include, though are not limited to, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhoea. Other common symptoms across the various kinds of botulism are difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, double vision, dropping eyelids, blurry vision, difficulty breathing, and difficulty moving the eyes.
Impacted American states: Where were the tuna cans sold?
The tuna recall has affected more than two dozen American states and Washington D.C. The impacted canned products bear the branded labels of Genova, H-E-B, Trader Joe’s, and Van Camp’s.
Kroger, Walmart, H-E-B, Harris Teeter, Publix, Safeway and other retailers in Alabama, New Jersey, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, California, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee sold the 5-ounce recalled Genova cans. Meanwhile, the same Genova cans sold at Florida and Georgia Costco stores weighed seven ounces.
On the other hand, Trader Joe’s was selling the impacted products at stores in 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, per Today.com.
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Bearing the H-E-B label, the compromised products were made available in Texas. Those under Van Camp’s label were sold in Walmart and independent retailers located in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
What should customers do if they already have the recalled products?
Confirming that the recall didn’t impact any other Tri-Union Seafoods products, the company said that those who had purchased the recalled tuna cans could receive a full refund after returning, throwing, or contacting the company at 833-374-0171 for a retrieval kit and coupon for a replacement option.
Botulism is treated with antitoxin, preventing the toxin from causing more harm. However, it can’t undo the adverse damage already done by the toxin. Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled items.
