Terra Medi LLC of Long Island City, NY, is recalling all of its imported Hellas Meze Golden Smoked Whole herring in vacuum packages because of improper evisceration of the fish.
The sale of uneviscerated fish is prohibited under New York State Agriculture and Markets regulation because Clostridium Botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning.
The product was distributed to MA, NJ, IL and NY to retail stores and wholesale distributors.
The product is a single whole smoked herring visible through plastic vacuum packaging, refrigerated, and has a production date of April 12, 2025, best before April 12, 2026, and the code L120425F54.
No illnesses have been reported to date in relation to the recalled fish.
The product was found to be violative after sampling by the New York State department of agriculture and markets inspectors and subsequent analysis of Food Laboratory personnel.
Customers who have purchased the product are urged to not consume the fish.
About botulism
While a variety of illnesses can result from eating under-processed food, one of the most dangerous is botulism poisoning. Untreated, botulism can paralyze the muscles needed for breathing, resulting in sudden death.
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed signs of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention.
In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, symptoms can begin as soon as 6 hours after or up to 10 days later.
The symptoms of botulism may include some of all of the following: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. People with botulism poisoning may not show all of these symptoms at once.
If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause paralysis of specific muscles, including those used in breathing and those in the arms, legs, and the body from the neck to the pelvis area.
