By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-10-19 15:01:22 | Updated at 2026-10-19 15:42:02
51 minutes ago
Wholesaler Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. is recalling packaged salmon products from six states due to potential bacterial contamination.
The recall is applicable to Starfish Seafood Premium Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon Sliced, sold in 227g/8oz packages, the New York-based company said in an Oct. 16 announcement published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The vacuum-sealed plastic package carries the UPC code 4751048940099 and lot number D080-148. Oktyabr distributed the products in New York, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The item has a “best before” date of Nov. 27, 2027.
The products may potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, “an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the announcement said.
“Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women,” the company said in the announcement.
According to Oktyabr, no illnesses have been reported so far linked to the consumption of the recalled items.
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets identified the potential for Listeria contamination during product sampling, after which the company issued a voluntary recall of the affected items.
The company asked customers who have bought the recalled foods not to consume them and instead return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Customers with queries can contact the company at (718) 858-6720.
The Epoch Times reached out to Krasnyi Oktyabr for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
According to an August 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Listeria is the fourth leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the country.
Listeria can cause an intestinal or an invasive illness. Symptoms of intestinal illness include vomiting and diarrhea, and typically begin within 24 hours of consuming contaminated food. The illness usually lasts for one to three days, according to a CDC report.
Some individuals with intestinal illness may develop an invasive illness, in which the bacteria spreads beyond the intestines—the symptoms typically begin within two weeks of consuming the contaminated food, the CDC said in the report.
Among pregnant women, invasive illness can cause premature delivery. The newborn may also face the risk of a life-threatening infection.
In one of the recent listeria outbreaks linked to soft cheese, 15 people were infected, resulting in 14 hospitalizations and one death. In another outbreak linked to prepared pasta meals, 28 people got infected, resulting in seven deaths.
In July, the Making America’s Food Safer Act, sponsored by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), was introduced to Congress. The Act seeks to give the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the authority to destroy imported foods at U.S. ports of entry that are flagged as presenting major public health risks.
The FDA can currently identify unsafe imported foods at a port, but cannot destroy them. As such, the items are sent back to the country of origin. Some of these products may be repacked and sent to the United States through a different port.
Granting HHS the power to destroy products that pose a public health risk helps mitigate this issue.
In addition, the bill will grant the FDA the authority to promptly share critical food safety information with local, state, territorial, and tribal health officials during public health threats.
“It’s a common-sense, targeted approach [that] modernizes our food safety system. It removes outdated statutory restrictions,” Tuberville said in remarks at the Senate in July. The bill was passed by the Senate in late September and sent to the House of Representatives.
