Smoked Salmon Salmonella Outbreak in Netherlands; Product Sold at Costco in U.S.

According to the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, smoked salmon manufactured by Foppen Paling en Zalm has been linked to a Salmonella Thompson outbreak in the Netherlands. The salmon has been recalled. An announcement was made through the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed on October 1, 2012.

The salmon was apparently processed at Foppen’s factory in Greece. At least 200 people are ill in the Netherlands with the outbreak strain of the bacteria. That product has been sold in the United States under the Costco Kirkland brand and the Foppen brand, although Costco has not issued a recall. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that consumers not eat any smoked salmon from Foppen.

There have been reports that 100 illnesses in America are linked to the recalled salmon, but the CDC has not made an announcement and is investigating, along with the FDA and USDA. These are the states that are investigating Salmonella Thompson illnesses: Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, and Virginia. There are 85 cases of Salmonella Thompson that have been reported to the CDC since July 1, 2012; but that is a common strain of the bacteria and the illnesses may not be linked to the smoked salmon.

Get Salmonella help here

The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, chills, and headache. If you have eaten smoked salmon and are experiencing these symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible. He can perform a test to see if you do have a Salmonella illness.