The FDA is warning restaurants and food retailers not to sell cultured mussels from East River Shellfish because they may be contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. East River Shellfish is located in Glenfinnan, Prince Edward Island in Canada. The restaurants that received these mussels are located in the states of Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.
The cultured muscles are from the harvest location PE 4-C, and were harvested on August 14, 2023. They were shipped to customers on August 1, 2023, and distributed to retailers in those states mentioned. The product tag that was attached to original containers is:
Contaminated mussels can cause illness if eaten raw or undercooked, especially in people who have chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems. Food that is contaminated with pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli will not look, taste, or smell different, and the texture is not affected.
Symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning usually begin 12 to 72 hours after eating food contaminated with that pathogen. Symptoms of salmonellosis include fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody. Symptoms of an E. coli infection usually start a few days after infection. Those symptoms include severe and painful abdominal cramps and diarrhea that is bloody.
A serious complication from an E. coli infection is hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, that is a type of kidney failure. Symptoms of HUS include little urine output, lethargy, pale skin, easy bruising, and a skin rash.
Other complications of the infections can include endocarditis, high blood pressure, irritable le bowel syndrome, and chronic kidney disease. If anyone ate those cultured mussels from East River Shellfish and has been experiencing those symptoms, see a doctor.
