Nationwide recall of smoked fish issued after the FDA finds listeria

Springfield Smoked Fish has expanded its recall of smoked fish products on listeria concerns from two New England states to nationwide.

The products, 19 of which were sold under the Springfield Smoked Fish or Rachael’s Springfield Smoked Fish brand names, were sold at retail and wholesale stores in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania and nationwide via online outlets.

Eating food contaminated with listeria can lead to listeriosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says, “An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die. The infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems.”

The FDA found listeria in Springfield’s Prescliced Nova Salmon, which sparked the original recall Dec. 13 of that product, sold in Rhode Island and Connecticut retail stores.

But listeria recalls rarely stay with just one product. Usually, all other products made at the same facility or same part of the facility also get recalled out of caution.

“The recall expansion was initiated as a result of environmental and product sampling conducted by the firm,” the Springfield-written FDA recall notice states. “The company is working diligently to determine the root cause and continues working with food safety experts to implement corrective actions and preventative measures.”

So, now also recalled are:

▪ Smoked Salmon, all species, 4-ounce, 8-ounce, 1-pound, 5-pound, 1 1/4-pound, 3-pound, sliced sides, unsliced sides, trimmings/chips, wings/bellies, ground/spreadable.

▪ Whitefish Meat, 5-pound bag.

▪ Belly Lox, 4-ounce and sliced sides.

▪ Smoked Chubs, catch weight.

▪ Smoked Bluefish, catch weight.

▪ Smoked Trout, 6-ounce.

▪ Smoked Whole Whitefish, catch weight.

▪ Smoked Sable, catch weight.

▪ Kippered Salmon, catch weights.

▪ Hot Smoked Salmon Steaks, catch weights.

▪ Smoked Whitefish Spread, 8-ounce and 4-pound.

▪ Cream Cheese Spreads (Spreadable Plain, Lox, Scallion, Veggie, Strawberry, Hot and Spicy), 8-ounce and 5-pound containers. Use By dates of 12/15/17 to 2/9/2018.

▪ Whitefish Salad, 8-ounce and 5-pound containers. Use By dates of 12/15/17 to 2/9/2018.

▪ Boston Salads Scallion Cream Cheese Spread and Veggie Cream Cheese Spread, 5-pound containers. Use By dates of 12/15/17 to 2/9/2018.

Anyone with the above products can toss them or return them for a refund, but definitely should not eat them.

Those with questions can contact the company at 413-737-8693, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Nationwide recall of smoked fish issued after the FDA finds listeria."