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The FDA issued a public warning about cold smoked sprats sold by Haifa Smoked Fish, saying production controls intended to prevent Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin formation were not in place. The company declined the FDA’s recommendation to recall the product, so consumers and food businesses are being told not to eat, sell or serve it.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers not to eat cold smoked sprats sold by Haifa Smoked Fish, saying the products were made without controls required to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum and formation of its toxin. The company declined the FDA’s recommendation to recall the products, prompting the agency to issue a public warning.
The FDA said it found the missing controls during an inspection of the production facility operated by D&M Smoked Fish Inc., which does business as Haifa Smoked Fish Inc. The facility is in Jamaica, New York. The agency’s concern is that without appropriate controls, the bacteria that cause botulism may grow and produce toxin in the cold smoked sprats.
The FDA recommended that D&M Smoked Fish recall all of its cold smoked sprats currently on the market. The firm declined, according to the agency’s warning. The FDA did not report a confirmed illness linked to the product in the information provided for the warning; its alert concerns the potential risk of botulism.
The agency advises retailers, restaurants, wholesalers and food-service businesses not to sell or serve cold smoked sprats sold by Haifa Smoked Fish. Consumers who are unsure whether their sprats came from the company should contact the store where they bought them or their supplier. The warning does not provide a product lot code, package size or distribution list, so checking the seller or supplier is the recommended way to establish the product’s source.
Why the Sprat Warning Matters
Foodborne botulism is a serious illness, and the FDA says food contaminated with the spores that cause it may look, smell and taste normal. Consumers cannot reliably judge the risk by inspecting or sampling the fish. Avoiding the identified product is important even if its appearance and smell seem unchanged.
Botulism can affect the nerves and, if untreated, lead to paralysis of muscles needed for breathing. The agency says symptoms of foodborne botulism generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food, but they may start as soon as six hours afterward or as late as 10 days later. Anyone who ate the product and develops symptoms should seek medical care immediately.
The company’s decision not to recall means the warning is serving as the public notice while the product may remain in circulation. Food businesses need to check their inventory and supply records, and consumers may need to ask sellers to identify the source of fish they have already purchased.
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Inspection Led to Public Alert
The FDA’s warning followed an inspection of the company’s production facility. The agency said inspectors found that controls to prevent C. botulinum growth and toxin formation were not in place. It then recommended a market recall, which the company declined, and issued a consumer warning about the product.
Botulism is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. The FDA lists possible symptoms including double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or breathing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth and muscle weakness. People may not experience all symptoms at once. Symptoms can worsen and progress to paralysis, including of breathing muscles.
The report identifies the product as cold smoked sprats sold by Haifa Smoked Fish, Inc., and identifies D&M Smoked Fish Inc. as the company doing business under that name. The supplied warning does not identify particular lot numbers, retailers or sales dates.
“The firm has declined to recall the product.”
— U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Product Distribution Details Missing
The warning information provided does not specify lot numbers, package labels, quantities distributed, sales dates or named retailers. It also does not establish that any illnesses have occurred. Consumers who cannot identify the product’s source are advised to contact their place of purchase or supplier rather than relying on visual checks.
The report says the company declined the FDA’s recall recommendation but does not give the company’s explanation or indicate whether it has taken other steps, such as contacting customers or removing products from sale. The available information also does not say whether further FDA action or additional distribution details are expected.
Check Purchases and Seek Care
Consumers with cold smoked sprats should contact the retailer or supplier to determine whether the product was sold by Haifa Smoked Fish. If it was, they should not eat it. Retailers and food-service operators should stop selling or serving the identified sprats, following the FDA’s warning.
Anyone who has eaten the product and develops signs such as vision changes, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or muscle weakness should seek medical attention immediately. Because symptoms may take up to 10 days to appear, the absence of immediate symptoms does not by itself establish that exposure is harmless. Further details about product identification, distribution or company actions were not included in the warning information available for this report.
Key Questions
Which fish is covered by the FDA warning?
The warning concerns cold smoked sprats sold by Haifa Smoked Fish, Inc. The company is the trade name of D&M Smoked Fish Inc., according to the report. No lot numbers or package details were provided.
Why did the FDA issue the warning?
The FDA said an inspection found that required controls to prevent Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin formation were not in place at the production facility. The company declined the agency’s recommendation to recall the product.
Can I tell whether the fish is unsafe by smelling or looking at it?
No. The FDA says food contaminated with the spores that cause botulism may look, smell and taste normal. Contact the retailer or supplier if you are unsure whether your fish came from Haifa Smoked Fish, and do not eat it if it did.
What symptoms should prompt medical attention?
Possible symptoms include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or breathing, dry mouth and muscle weakness. The FDA says symptoms often begin 18 to 36 hours after exposure, but can begin from six hours to 10 days later. Seek medical care immediately if symptoms develop after eating the product.
Has an illness been confirmed, and what happens to the product now?
The warning information provided does not report a confirmed illness linked to the sprats, and it does not give the product’s full distribution details. The FDA says the company declined its recall recommendation; retailers and food-service businesses are being told not to sell or serve the product. Consumers should ask their seller or supplier to check its source.
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