Costco is recalling salmon products due to concerns about listeria contamination

CNN
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Costco is recalling smoked salmon products due to possible listeria contamination.

Listeria is a bacteria that can contaminate food and cause listeriosis, which is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria can spread in food processing plants.

According to a letter to customers dated Oct. 22, Costco said certain packages of its Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon purchased between Oct. 9 and Oct. 13 were affected by the recall.

Packs with batch number 8512801270 – located at the top right of the front of the packaging – should not be consumed. Customers can return packages to Costco for a full refund.

The recall was initiated by the store's smoked salmon supplier, Acme Smoked Fish Corp., which identified potential listeria bacteria in its product. No illnesses were reported.

Costco's recall comes at a time of increasing attention to foodborne illnesses.

In July, more than 7.2 million pounds of Boar's Head liver sausage and other sausage products were recalled following a deadly listeria outbreak. At least 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations have been reported in 19 states due to the listeria outbreak, according to the CDC.

The century-old deli manufacturer has since stopped selling liverwurst and closed the Virginia plant that was the center of the outbreak. Boar's Head came under scrutiny from lawmakers after it was revealed that reports in early 2022 suggested the possibility of listeria contamination at a company's food processing plant.

In addition to listeria, there have been outbreaks of E. coli linked to Quarter Pounders at McDonald's locations in several states. According to the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 75 illnesses have been reported due to the E. coli outbreak, with 22 hospitalizations and at least one death in 13 states.

According to the FDA, which tracks public announcements, there were multiple recalls in October, such as Costco's salmon products, due to possible listeria contamination. While the recalls come in the wake of the listeria outbreak at Boar's Head and the E. coli outbreak at McDonald's, experts told CNN that an increase in recalls due to possible contamination is not necessarily a cause for concern.

Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, told CNN It is important to distinguish between a recall and an actual listeria outbreak.

On October 24, the FDA announced a recall of chicken taco kits manufactured by Sprouts Farmers Markets due to possible listeria contamination. According to a press release, the manufacturer had already recalled the items on October 11th. According to the FDA, an expanded recall due to possible listeria contamination was issued on October 22 for waffle and pancake products manufactured by Treehouse Foods. According to a press release, the food processing company previously recalled dozens of frozen waffle products sold at Target, Walmart, Publix and other stores on October 18 due to possible listeria contamination.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry were recalled by manufacturer BrucePac in early October due to possible listeria contamination. The massive recall affected dozens of frozen and ready-to-eat chicken products in stores and schools across the country.

There has been an increase in recalls due to potential listeria concerns, but that does not mean there has been a new increase in listeria outbreaks, Diez-Gonzalez said. Outbreaks indicate that people have become ill, while recalls occur due to detection of possible contamination.

No illnesses were reported in the October listeria-related recalls, and a timely recall of products can help prevent illnesses, Diez-Gonzalez said.

According to the CDC, a foodborne illness outbreak is classified as when two or more people become ill from the same contaminated product. According to the CDC, there was one listeria outbreak in 2024, namely the Boar's Head outbreak.

According to the FDA's recall dashboard, there were 1,905 recalled foods or cosmetic products in 2024, up from 1,563 in 2023. Still, recalls in 2024 are generally at or below pre-pandemic levels. For example, in 2014, a decade earlier, there were 2,549 recalled foods or cosmetic products.

According to an FDA spokesperson, the number of food recalls in 2024 is generally consistent with previous years.

“It may appear that the number of recalls has increased, particularly when a recall involves a large number of affected products. However, the number of food-related recalls in (2024) is generally consistent with previous years,” the spokesperson said.

In fact, Diez-Gonzalez said the recent spike in recalls could be evidence of increased precautions and monitoring by companies.

“There are more companies testing,” Diez-Gonzalez said. “It's not that the number of contaminated products is really increasing, but the more we have these systems in place, the more you'll find and the more you'll remember.”

Additionally, Diez-Gonzalez said the food system in the U.S. is complicated and one factor that has contributed to the size of the recalls is the consolidation of the food supply, where a processor like BrucePac is distributing in multiple states across the country.

Diez-Gonzalez also said that over the past two decades there has been an increased focus on microbiological testing and implementing surveillance processes to detect potential Listeria cases.

“Due to increased surveillance and testing, the frequency of withdrawal of products from the market has increased,” he said.

The CDC estimates that about 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year, resulting in about 260 deaths. Deli meats can be particularly susceptible to listeria outbreaks, according to the CDC, and the bacteria can spread across countertops.

Recalls typically do not bode well for companies' reputations, and ideally they would identify contaminated products before they reach the market, Diez-Gonzalez said.

However, detection of potential listeria contamination does not necessarily mean an outbreak will occur, and the fact that these items have been identified and recalled could be a good sign for disease prevention, Diez-Gonzalez said.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the USDA at 888-674-6854.