Fear of a potentially deadly bacteria has caused the mass recall of possibly contaminated crab meat.
Irvington Seafood is recalling one-pound packages of crab meat due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is investigating the source of the contamination.
The recall includes one-pound packages of "Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Claw meat" that was sent to distributors in Alabama and Mississippi. The recalled products may have ended up in retail seafood markets or restaurants. The recalled products come in one-pound tubs marked with license number AL 111-C.
Samples of crab meat processed on May 12 tested positive for L. monocytogenes on May 17. From 23 samples of Jumbo, 24 samples of Lump, 24 samples of Fingers, and 23 samples of Claw meat, a total of 12 samples of Claw meat, and 2 samples of Fingers tested positive, according to Irvington Seafood.
The company said it has not received any reports of illnesses associated with the recalled products to date.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious, sometimes fatal, infections in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems, and can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women, according to the FDA. Healthy adults may experience symptoms including high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Production of the product has been suspended while the FDA and the company investigate the source of the contamination.
Consumers can return the recalled crab meat to the place of purchase to receive a full refund, the company said.
--with reporting by TMX
