The FDA has assigned its highest risk classification, Class I, to recalls involving two Starfish Seafood smoked fish products over Listeria concerns.
The affected products are cold smoked Norwegian salmon and a seafood trio containing salmon, halibut and trout.
Consumers should check their refrigerators and freezers and return recalled packages for a full refund.
The Food and Drug Administration has classified two Starfish Seafood recalls as Class I, its most serious designation, because of concerns about contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The classifications, assigned November 3, cover Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon and Cold Smoked Trio Salmon Halibut Trout distributed by Brooklyn, New York-based Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. The voluntary recalls began October 6 and remain ongoing, according to recall records.
A Class I designation means there is a reasonable probability that consuming or being exposed to the affected product could cause serious health consequences or death. The FDA generally assigns classifications after assessing a recall’s health risks, sometimes weeks after a company first warns consumers. The classification itself does not necessarily indicate an expansion of the recall.
What to do
Consumers can identify the affected products using the following package information.
Starfish Seafood Trio — Cold Smoked Salmon, Halibut and Trout comes in vacuum-sealed, 8-ounce packages bearing lot number D139149161-153 and an expiration date printed as 12/01/2027. The company’s original announcement listed distribution in New York, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Starfish Seafood Premium Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon Sliced comes in vacuum-sealed, 8-ounce packages with UPC 4751048940099, lot D080-148 and a best-before date printed as 27.11.2027. The product was distributed frozen in New York, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio, according to its recall announcement.
Both products originated in Latvia. Krasnyi Oktyabr said it is a wholesale distributor and did not manufacture the fish. The company initiated the recalls after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets identified potential Listeria contamination. No illnesses had been reported in either company announcement.
Listeria can cause particularly serious infections in older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage or stillbirth. Symptoms can include fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, according to the recall notices.
Consumers who have either recalled product should not eat it. The company advises returning it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
For additional information, consumers can call Krasnyi Oktyabr at 718-858-6720, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.