Springfield Smoked Fish of Massachusetts is expanding their voluntary recall of smoked fish products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with this problem.
You can see the long list of recalled products at the FDA web site, along with package sizes, use by dates, pictures of the product labels, and UPC numbers. The initial recall was for 1 pound pre-sliced Nova Salmon produced on November 24, 2017. The expansion includes many more products that were produced between May 22, 20107 and December 12, 2017, which is the date the facility stopped production. Environmental and product sampling conducted by the firm revealed this problem.
The products were sold under the brand names Springfield Smoked Fish and Rachael’s Springfield Smoked Fish. Recalled products include Smoked Salmon – All Species, Whitefish Meat, Belly Lox, Smoked Bluefish, Smoked Sable, Kippered Salmon, Cream Cheese Spreads, and Smoked Whitefish Spread, among others. Also recalled is Boston Salads – Private Label Scallion and Veggie Cream Cheese Spreads.
The recalled products were sold at retail and wholesale stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania from May 2017 through December 2017. They were also sold online.
If you bought any of these products, do not eat them. Throw them away in a double bagged package, or take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund.
It’s important to then clean out your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution after you discard these products, since Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperature, and freezing does not kill it. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling these products and after cleaning.
If you ate any of these recalled products, monitor yourself for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 7o days, since that’s how long it can take to get sick. Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning include high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Pregnant women may only be mildly ill with flu-like symptoms, but this illness can cause infection in the newborn, stillbirth, premature labor, and miscarriage. If you do feel sick, see your doctor.
