Federal officials are warning shoppers to steer clear of cans of potentially tainted Genova Yellowfin Tuna that were mistakenly shipped this week to six grocery store chains in nine different states.
The suspect cans were part of a larger recall of tuna products last February after Tri-Union Seafoods learned that some of the “easy open” pull tab lids were defective, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement Monday.
That defect could cause the cans to leak or become contaminated “with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning,” the agency warned.
But for reasons unclear, these cans of quarantined tuna were recently “inadvertently shipped by a third-party distributor,” the FDA said.
“Consumers should not use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled,” the FDA warned. “Consumers feeling unwell should seek immediate medical attention.”
The chains that received the suspect shipments include Meijer stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, and Giant Foods stores in Maryland and Virginia,
The recalled tuna was also shipped to Safeway, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions stores in California.
The products shoppers should immediately throw out — or return to their places of purchase for refunds — are the four packs of 5-ounce cans of Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil, which bear the UPC number 4800073265.
The cans stamped with the code numbers S84N D2L also bear a “best used by” date of Jan. 21, 2028. The cans with the code numbers S84N D3L list Jan. 24, 2028, as their “best used by” date.
In addition, consumers should get rid of five ounce-cans of Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Sea Salt that have the UPC numbers 4800013275S88N and the code numbers D1M1/17/2028.
The “best used by” date for these cans is Jan. 17, 2028.
Consumers with questions about the suspect tuna are urge to contact Tri-Union Seafoods at (833)374-0171 Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, or email the company at support@thaiunionhelp.zendesk.com.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
