Haifa Cold Smoked Sprats are being recalled for a possible botulism risk. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is D&M Smoked Fish doing business as Haifa Smoked Fish of Queens, New York.
The FDA put out a food safety warning about these sprats on October 23, 2026, starting that the company did not want to issue a recall. Now they have. The FDA stated that, during an inspection, they found that the company did not use food safety controls to prevent the growth of the botulism toxin when packaging this product.
This product was distributed at the retail level in the states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. All lots are included in the recall. The fish were shipped loose and refrigerated in bulk cardboard containers labeled Cold Smoked Sprats.
If you purchased these sprats, do not eat them and do not serve them to others. You can throw them away in a secure trash can with a tight fitting lid after first double bagging or wrapping the fish so other people can’t see them, or you can take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund.
If you ate these sprats, monitor your health for the symptoms of botulism poisoning, which can take 12 to 36 hours. If you do get sick, go to an emergency room because this is a medical emergency.
