The Canned Tuna Recall That's Wreaking Havoc On Major Grocery Stores

If you like the pleasantly fishy kick of a tuna salad sandwich at lunchtime, prepare for some disappointing news: there's a major recall on canned tuna, and it could easily impact the contents of your pantry. Tri-Union Seafoods, a manufacturer based out of El Segundo, California, announced Friday in a press release that it was voluntarily recalling an unknown number of canned tuna products made at Tri-Union plants and distributed under the brand names Genova, Van Camp's, H-E-B, and Trader Joe's. This tuna is sold nationwide at major grocery stores like Walmart, Costco, Publix, Safeway, and several others across 25 states, including the stores whose private labels were affected. Only the brand labels named are impacted — for instance, Bumble Bee, which is the brand behind Costco's Kirkland Signature canned tuna, is not included in the recall and is safe to eat.

Luckily, there have so far been no reported illnesses associated with the recall. This move is strictly preventative at this time, meaning that the cans are being pulled out of an abundance of caution. The culprits behind the massive recall are the easy-open lids on the tuna cans, which were discovered to have possibly been improperly sealed, leading to an increased risk of botulism poisoning.

Botulism poisoning is nasty business. According to the CDC, the illness, which is associated with the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, can cause muscle weakness or paralysis, severe gastrointestinal symptoms, and, in the most severe of cases, even death. It can be difficult to diagnose quickly and must be confirmed by laboratory testing. Because the Tri-Union Seafoods cans may not have been sealed properly, there is a risk that they could be contaminated with this very bacteria. The company urges you to check the full list of can codes and expiration dates on the press release to see if any of the canned tuna you own is affected.

If you find the recalled tuna in your pantry, you can return it to the store where you bought it for a refund. You can also contact Tri-Union Seafoods directly at support@thaiunionhelp.zendesk.com or 833-374-0171. Unlike undeclared milk recalls, which can affect ingredients buried deep in your grocery labels' fine print, it's pretty easy to tell if your tuna is suspect or not: go by the product codes and dates listed in the press release. Please note that the tuna may smell or even taste fine, but that doesn't mean it's okay to eat. 

If it seems to you like there have been a ton of food recalls lately, you are correct. However, that may be good news. The increasing number of recalls actually means that your food being more efficiently  monitored, which is good news for the health of you, your family, and your community.