Osamu Corp. announced that it has voluntarily recalled frozen yellow tuna from a processing plant in Indonesia after 62 people become infected with Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+) bacteria in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“Epidemiologic and laboratory findings indicate that frozen tuna is the likely source of the infections,” with most of the victims having reported eating sushi made from raw tuna in the week prior to becoming sick, stated the CDC.
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Symptoms of the disease typically include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after an exposure. Of those infected during this outbreak, 11 were hospitalized and none died, according to the CDC.
Cases of this outbreak have been reported from 11 states, with illness onset dates having begun in March. The two most recent victims became infected with the bacteria after the CDC’s July 15 update on the outbreak.
Osamu has recalled the following:
• All frozen yellowfin tuna (loin, saku, chunk, slice, and ground market forms) sold to restaurants and grocery stories throughout the United States from May 9, 2014, to July 9, 2015. Affected products can be identified by four-digit purchase order numbers 8563 through 8599 located on each product carton box.
• One lot of frozen yellowfin tuna chunk meat distributed to AFC Corp. for use in sushi franchises in grocery stores throughout the United States from May 20, 2015, to May 26, 2015, after the Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture isolated the outbreak strain from samples of unopened frozen raw tuna collected from a Minnesota grocery store where an ill person in this outbreak reported eating tuna sushi. The affected lot can be identified by lot number 68568.
The CDC instructs restaurants and retailers who do not know the lot number of frozen tuna in their freezers to contact the distributor and to avoid serving or selling any tuna unless they are certain it has not been recalled.
Restaurants and retailers can reach Osamu at 1-310-849-8881, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PDT.
The CDC advises consumers that raw fish or raw shellfish should to be consumed by anyone at high risk for serious food-borne illness, including children under 5 years, adults older than 65 years, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system.