The FDA has released information about the frozen raw ground tuna Salmonella Newport outbreak that has sickened at least 13 people in 7 states. The tuna was sourced from Jensen Tuna, and imported from JK Fish of Vietnam.
Jensen Tuna voluntarily recalled this tuna on April 15, 2019. The FDA statement says that it’s unlikely the ground tuna was sold directly to consumers in grocery stores. They think that it was used to make food dishes, such as sushi and spicy tuna, by restaurants and retailers.
The tuna was sold in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, and Washington state. The patients in this outbreak live in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, and Washington state. The tuna could have been distributed to other states.
Attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients sickened with Salmonella infections, said, “Even when you recover from this infection, there is still a risk you will develop a serious complication in the future.” Call 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202 for help.
Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client in the 2012 raw tuna scrape Salmonella Bareilly outbreak, said, “Raw seafood should not be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. We hope that everyone sickened in this outbreak recovers completely.”
Retailers need to discard the tuna, then clean their refrigerators, cutting boards, countertops, and utensils, then sanitize them in a mild bleach solution. Display cases and surfaces that were used to store or serve foods made with the tuna should also be cleaned.
When consumers choose to eat raw tuna or other types of seafood at restaurants, or purchase these products at grocery stores, they should ask where the frozen raw ground tuna used to make the product came from. Retailers should know if their products were made with raw tuna from Jensen Tuna. If they do not, do not eat those products.
Patients who are more likely to have serious consequences from this type of infection include children, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with a chronic illness or weakened immune system. Most people recover from a Salmonella infection, which has symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, within a few days. But some people do become sick enough to be hospitalized. Two people are hospitalized in this outbreak.
If you have been ill with the symptoms of Salmonella, which include a fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, and you have eaten sushi recently, you may be part of this ground tuna Salmonella outbreak. See your doctor.
