Officials of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a voluntary recall of Yellow Fin tuna today saying the fish in question appears to have been contaminated with Hepatitis A virus. The recall affects only fish from the Hawaii-based Hilo Fish Company which says they notified the agency in May it had recalled yellow-fin tuna that tested positive for the virus.
A Hilo company representative said the fish in question was originally sourced from two different companies, the Sustainable Seafood Company located in Vietnam and Santa Cruz Seafood Inc. which is located in the Philippines. According to the FDA, consumers may be at risk of contracting the disease if they consume potentially contaminated tuna.
The recall is somewhat limited and affects only some imported frozen tuna cubes and steaks that tested positive for the liver virus, Hepatitis A. It must be stressed that the virus itself was not found, but the fish did test positive for contamination by the virus. The FDA said that the products were distributed to retail locations and restaurants in California, Texas and Oklahoma. As yet, there have been no reported cases of illness which can be linked to the tainted fish.
Hilo Fish Company and the FDA both recommend if you have any of the company’s recalled products which include 8-ounce steaks with label code 627152, and tuna cubes in 15-pound cases with label code 705342, you should contact the FDA at once and do not eat them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hepatitis A is a liver disease that can be transmitted through food or skin-to-skin contact.
An investigation is underway to determine the source of the possible contamination, which is still a mystery at this time.The CDC isn’t aware of any illnesses linked to the products, but it’s advising un-vaccinated individuals who may have consumed contaminated tuna to seek medical help. For more information, you can visit the FDA’s website: https://www.fda.gov/food/recallsoutbreaksemergencies/outbreaks/ucm561199.htm
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