The U.S. Food and Drug Administration upgraded a recall for Costco’s Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon to its most critical level of danger, Class I, for a potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. It can cause mild disease and kill, particularly in high-risk groups of humans.
In its source, in October 2024, Costco’s recall for the smoked salmon was simply reclassified as a concern of considerable importance to public well-being. Here’s everything, from items involved to danger and how to safeguard yourself.
What products were involved?
The recall involves 111 cases of Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon in twin 12-ounce packages. Products involved have these codes:
- UPC Code: 0 96619 25697 6
- Lot Number: 8512801270
- Best-By Date: November 13, 2024
The items in question shipped between Oct. 9 and Oct. 13, 2024, to Costco stores in the southeastern part of the country. Best-by date is in the past, but knowing most frozen food have a long life, search your freezers for any stored foods.
How come the recall is so urgent?
The FDA groups its recalls in three categories in terms of danger:
- Class I: Most critical, with a “reasonable probability” for the product to result in significant medical consequences and even mortal consequences.
- Class II: Moderate danger, with a potential for short-term and possibly reversible medical consequences.
- Class III: The lowest danger, with no potential for significant medical consequences.
This recall is increased to a Class I regarding the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen with life-threatening infection potential: listeriosis. Listeriosis is most dangerous for new-borns, older adults, pregnant women, and for immune-suppressed individuals. The symptoms range from fever, sore muscle, headache, to stiff neck, confusion, loss of coordination, and-in extreme severity-miscarriage or delivery of a dead infant in pregnant females.
How was the contamination detected?
The contamination was revealed through routine analysis conducted at the Acme Smoked Fish Corporation laboratory, the processor of the smoked salmon. Recall initiated in October 2024 after the confirmed presence of Listeria monocytogenes. FDA upgrade to the recall conveys additional hazard to consumers.
What should consumers do?
If you’ve bought implicated merchandise, FDA and Costco ask the following:
1. Check your freezer: Although the best-by date has passed, merchandise could still be in your freezer. Check for UPC label, lot number, and best-by date to assure your merchandise is part of the recall.
2. Return or destroy the product immediately: One can return merchandise to Costco for a full refund or destroy it immediately. Do not consume contaminated salmon, even in small portions, as even small portions of Listeria triggers severe disease.
3. Be hyper vigilant for symptoms: If you’ve consumed the product and then feel feverish, have a headache, or gastrointestinal symptoms, see a doctor right away. Share your suspicion of Listeria exposure with them.
Broader context of Listeria contamination
Listeria monocytogenes is a recurring and lethal pathogen with temperature survival at cold temperatures, and hence an outright peril for cold and for smoked foods. The pathogen can invade foods through processing and packaging, through contaminated water and equipment, for example. Smoked salmon is a high-risk scenario in part because cold-smoking will not kill the pathogen and refrigerator temperature will not kill it, either.
The recall is one aspect of a whole spate of food safety issues regarding Listeria. In 2024 alone, there have been many high-profile recalls, including over 7.2 million pounds of Boar’s Head deli items and nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat items. For more clarity, read this article, Boar’s Head deli meat recalled: these are the violations at the Virginia plant for the listeria outbreak. In recall cases involving Costco, there have not yet been any reports of disease, but the severity of the consequence puts the spotlight on awareness.
What does this portend for food safety?
The severity of intensification of recall puts awareness onto the necessity for awareness of regulators and guard and awareness of consumers for preventing sickness of foods. While increased rise in recall can induce alarm, in fact, according to professionals, it actually denotes a reflection of increased observation and not of increased infection. Greater observation allows companies to detect and remove potential danger in anticipation of an outbreak. To the consumers, the incident is a reminder to:
- Check periodically for recall and notices for food
- Monitor proper storing and handling processes for foods.
- Be cautious with high-risk foods such as deli foods, smoke sea foods, and unpasteurized foods.
The FDA and Costco customer care can answer your questions about concerns for contaminated product. Welfare and wellbeing is most important to them.
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