A New Jersey seafood company has recalled nearly 333 pounds of tuna distributed across five states after health officials found high levels of a toxin linked to histamine poisoning.
Buckhead Meat Company, doing business as Trinity Seafood in Lakewood, voluntarily launched the recall on July 24 after the New Jersey Department of Health notified the company that two tuna samples had tested for high levels of scombrotoxin.
Scombrotoxin can cause scombroid poisoning, with symptoms appearing within minutes to two hours and often resembling an allergic reaction, including facial flushing, sweating, dizziness, nausea, headache, hives and abdominal cramps.
Severe cases can cause blurred vision, respiratory distress and swelling of the tongue, according to the FDA.
The FDA formally classified the action as a Class II recall on Sept. 16 — nearly eight weeks after the company initiated it.
The recall remains ongoing, according to the FDA record. No termination date has been posted, no press release was issued and the agency lists no subsequent update history for the product.
The affected tuna was distributed in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to the FDA records.
The recall covers 332.9 pounds of Buckhead tuna packed in Styrofoam containers marked “Keep Refrigerated.” The fish was sold in 10-pound, 12-pound, 15-pound and 3-to-5-pound cases.
The product carries code 0004255 and a series of “Vat” identifiers, including 59-01915, 58-11212, 59-01914, 58-11210, 58-11213, 59-01930 and 59-01570.
The federal record also lists 58-11210 a second time and contains an apparently incomplete identifier, “59-0.”
Scombrotoxin poisoning is associated with elevated histamine levels that can develop in certain fish, including tuna, when they are improperly refrigerated or otherwise exposed to unsafe temperatures.
The FDA classified the action as Class II, a category used when exposure to a recalled product may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems, or when the likelihood of serious harm is considered remote.
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