Friday, April 19, 2019

Raw Ground Tuna Used in Sushi Dishes Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Jensen Tuna of Louisiana is voluntarily recalling frozen ground tuna imported from JK Fish, because it may potentially be contaminated with Salmonella.  The recall comes after thirteen people became infected with a strain of Salmonella Newport.  These cases have been reported from seven states with illnesses start dates ranging from January 8, 2019 to March 20, 2019.

The frozen ground tuna is used in sushi or other dish where raw ground tuna is used. "In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Nine (75%) of 12 people interviewed reported eating sushi from a restaurant or grocery store. This proportion was significantly higher than results from a survey Cdc-pdf[PDF – 787 KB] of healthy people in which 5% reported eating sushi, sashimi, or ceviche made with raw fish or shellfish in the week before they were interviewed. Of the nine people with information about their sushi exposure, nine (100%) reported eating a sushi item containing raw tuna or raw “spicy tuna.”"

Ground tuna is more of an issue for sushi in that there is more handling and preparation including a grinding application.  Should a contaminate get into the grinder, it can be easily mixed into the product.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm636166.htm
Jensen Tuna of Louisiana is Voluntarily Recalling Frozen Ground Tuna Imported from JK Fish, Because it may Potentially be Contaminated with Salmonella
For Immediate Release
April 16, 2019


Contact
Consumers  Jensen Tuna   info@jensentuna.com 985-868-8809

Announcement

Jensen Tuna of Louisiana is voluntarily recalling frozen ground tuna imported from JK Fish, because it may potentially be contaminated with Salmonella.

The frozen product, individually packaged in clear plastic one-pound bags, is sold in white wax 20 lb. boxes. The product is only sold as a wholesale case with twenty bags in each case. The lot numbers are z266, z271 and z272.

No other tuna products are impacted or part of this recall.

The product was sold to wholesalers in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, and Washington. These wholesalers further distribute the product to restaurants and retail locations. The product was distributed from November 30, 2018 to March 15, 2019.

Restaurants and retailers should check with their suppliers and not sell or serve recalled frozen ground tuna and should wash and sanitize locations where recalled ground tuna was stored. Consumers with concerns should ask their restaurants and retailers whether the tuna dish they are purchasing contained the recalled ground tuna.

The voluntary recall is in response to the CDC and FDA’s investigation of 13 illnesses caused by Salmonella, confirmed to date. As of today, the ground tuna samples were found negative for Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Most people infected with Salmonella develop symptoms within 12 to 72 hours after infections, according to the FDA. The illness, marked by diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, usually lasts 4 to 7 days.

Please contact Jensen Tuna at 985-868-8809 (Monday-Friday, 8am to 3pm, Central time) or email at info@jensentuna.com with questions.

FDA/CORE Issued Public Notice

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Food Safety Alert
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/newport-04-19/index.html
Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Frozen Raw Tuna
Posted April 16, 2019 at 4:45 PM ET

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections linked to frozen, raw ground tuna supplied by Jensen Tuna.

At A Glance
Reported Cases: 13
States: 7
Hospitalizations: 2
Deaths: 0
Recall: Yes

Latest Outbreak Information

  • Thirteen people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from seven states.
  • Illnesses started on dates ranging from January 8, 2019 to March 20, 2019.
  • Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
  • Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicates that frozen, raw ground tuna supplied by Jensen Tuna is the likely source of this outbreak.
  • On April 15, 2019, Jensen Tuna recalled frozen, ground tuna products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Newport.
  • This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.
  • Restaurants and retailers should not sell or serve recalled frozen, ground tuna from Jensen Tuna.
  • On April 15, 2019, Jensen Tuna in Houma, Louisiana voluntarily recalled frozen ground tuna.
  • The recalled tuna was individually packaged in one-pound bags and sold in 20-pound boxes under lot numbers z266, z271, and z272.
  • Jensen Tuna distributed product to distributors in Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Washington. Recalled product might have been redistributed to additional states.
  • If restaurants and retailers do not know if the frozen ground tuna they have is recalled, contact the distributor. When in doubt, don’t sell or serve it.
  • Consumers who order sushi made with raw tuna, including “spicy tuna,” should ask the restaurant or grocery store if the tuna is from Jensen Tuna. If you are not sure if the tuna has been recalled, do not eat it.

Contact your health care provider if you think you may have become ill from eating raw tuna sushi.
In general, people who are at higher risk for serious foodborne illness should not eat any raw fish or raw shellfishExternal. People at higher risk include children younger than 5 years, pregnant women, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection

  • Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
  • The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
  • In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
  • Children younger than 5 years, pregnant women, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Investigation Details
April 16, 2019
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections.

Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. DNA fingerprinting is performed on Salmonella bacteria isolated from ill people by using techniques called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). CDC PulseNet manages a national database of these DNA fingerprints to identify possible outbreaks. WGS gives a more detailed DNA fingerprint than PFGE. WGS performed on bacteria isolated from ill people showed that they were closely related genetically. This means that ill people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.

As of April 15, 2019, 13 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 7 states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each is on the Map of Reported Cases page.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from January 8, 2019 to March 20, 2019. Ill people range in age from 29 to 85 years, with a median age of 40. Fifty-four percent are female. Of 12 people with available information, two (17%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.

Investigation of the Outbreak
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicates that frozen, raw ground tuna supplied by Jensen Tuna in Houma, Louisiana is the likely source of this outbreak.

In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Nine (75%) of 12 people interviewed reported eating sushi from a restaurant or grocery store. This proportion was significantly higher than results from a survey Cdc-pdf[PDF – 787 KB] of healthy people in which 5% reported eating sushi, sashimi, or ceviche made with raw fish or shellfish in the week before they were interviewed. Of the nine people with information about their sushi exposure, nine (100%) reported eating a sushi item containing raw tuna or raw “spicy tuna.”

The FDA and regulatory officials in several states traced the source of the raw tuna used by restaurants where ill people ate sushi. The traceback evidence indicated that the restaurants used frozen ground tuna supplied by Jensen Tuna.

On April 15, 2019, Jensen Tuna voluntarily recalledExternal frozen ground tuna products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Newport.

This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

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