Texans have received a warning from the state department of health about six species of fish caught in portions of the Neches River Basin due to fish testing for heightened levels of mercury and dioxins. The area of concern is a portion of the Neches River Basin that includes Sam Rayburn Reservoir and B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir. It stretches from the State Highway 7 bridge west of Lufkin downstream to the U.S. Highway 96 bridge near Evadale, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The affected species consist of:
Blue catfish (over 30 inches)
Flathead catfish
Gar (all species)
Largemouth bass (over 16 inches)
Smallmouth buffalo
Spotted bass (over 16 inches)
Women of childbearing age and children under 12 are advised not to eat any amount of fish caught from the area. Adult men and women past childbearing age should not eat any smallmouth buffalo and should only eat a maximum of one 8 oz. meal per month of the flathead catfish and gar, while only a maximum of two 8 oz. meals per month of the blue catfish, largemouth bass or spotted bass. Children younger than 12 and women who are nursing, pregnant or who may become pregnant should avoid eating these fish because the nervous systems of unborn and young children are particularly susceptible to toxins, the health department said.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
French authorities are investigating the death of a woman who consumed dried mushrooms.
At the start of November, health officials were notified about the death of a patient following a
This is part 1 of a 3-part series.
An unlicensed meat producer and poor hygiene at a restaurant played a role in a Salmonella outbreak in an Australian state,
Almost 500 people were sick in a major E. coli outbreak in Germany in 2025, according to recently released figures from a regional State Office for Health and Social Affairs.
As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or
Fresh & Ready Foods LLC of Renton, WA, is recalling 2,414 of Fresh To You Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches because they have the potential to be contaminated
A California pumpkin patch and petting zoo associated with an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections reopened Nov. 6 with the owners saying environmental tests for the pathogen had
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for frozen, not ready-to-eat (NRTE), meat and poultry products because of misbranding and
