FDA Fast Facts: FDA and partners investigate Salmonella Newport outbreak linked to frozen ground tuna, retailers should discard recalled product

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with state and local officials, are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections linked to frozen ground tuna imported into the U.S. by Jensen Tuna and sourced from JK Fish of Vietnam. The FDA is advising restaurants and retailers not to serve or sell recalled frozen ground tuna from Jensen Tuna. 

The FDA worked with Jensen Tuna to voluntarily recall frozen ground tuna imported from JK Fish of Vietnam. The recalled tuna was individually packaged in one-pound bags and sold in 20-pound boxes to distributors in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Washington under lot numbers z266, z271, and z272. The product was sold for use in finished food dishes sold by restaurants and food retailers; it was unlikely to be sold directly to consumers in grocery stores. Consumers who are concerned they may have eaten the recalled tuna should ask the restaurant where they ate whether the tuna dish they purchase contained the recalled tuna.

"While we were able to quickly trace the product back to a single importer and work with the company to initiate a recall, we are communicating to ensure that restaurants know to look for and dispose of any recalled frozen ground tuna," said FDA Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas. "While we've taken quick action, work remains to address the risks and find the source of the contamination. The FDA's inspection will help identify the actions the company will need to take to prevent an outbreak like this from happening again. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more."

The following is an update on the FDA's outbreak investigation. 

The FDA is continuing to investigate this outbreak and will share more information as it becomes available. For more information on this investigation:

• FDA's outbreak investigation
• Recall notice from Jensen Tuna
• FDA's Salmonella information

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines, and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration