A Massive Seafood Recall Is Happening In 3 States Due To Potential Contaminants

If you live in the area around the Gulf of Mexico and you bought some fish recently, you could be subject to a major seafood recall. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a recall for nearly 100,000 pounds of catfish fillets, which the agency says were produced without any federal inspection. In the September 15 announcement, the agency says these catfish products were shipped to both restaurant and retail locations in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The exact stores selling the catfish have not been determined, but once they are, a list will be shared publicly.

According to the FSIS, the catfish comes from a producer called Quality Poultry & Seafood, Inc., based in Biloxi, Mississippi. The agency says the company informed it that it was producing catfish, and the FSIS then determined that it had shipped products that were never inspected, creating a potential for serious health consequences for consumers.

The agency says the catfish could contain unlisted allergens, bacteria, or other harmful contaminants. It is also listed as a Class I level recall, the most serious label, which is defined as having a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health effects. There have been no reports of adverse reactions yet, but the catfish fillets were only produced between September 2 and September 5, and many of the products were frozen, so there are many that may not have been consumed yet.

On its website, the FSIS lists seven different products, five of which are labeled as farm-raised. The products include three translucent plastic bags of frozen catfish labeled "Varied Catfish Miscut Fillets," "Irregular Catfish Shank Fillet," or "Irregular Catfish Random Fillet," which have a net weight of 5 pounds. There are also cardboard boxes of frozen catfish labeled "Varied Catfish Miscut Fillets," and catfish labeled "Irregular Catfish Random Fillet," with a weight of 15 pounds, and two recalled stuffed catfish products. Both are in vacuum-sealed translucent bags, one labeled "Catfish Fillet Stuft W/ Crabmeat Dressing," and the second labeled "Stuffed Catfish."

Despite the lack of illnesses so far, the range of possible negative outcomes means that even if you were excited about cooking up some catfish, it should be avoided and either thrown out or returned to the location of purchase. If you have consumed this catfish and are feeling ill, contact a doctor immediately.