Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea Expand Tuna Recall
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Bumble Bee Foods(WASHINGTON) — Tuna giants Bumble Bee Foods and Chicken of the Sea have expanded recalls of their flaky fish because of a possible packaging problem.
Both companies issued voluntary recalls of some 5-ounce cans of Chunk White Albacore and Chunk Light Tuna Wednesday because the seals did not meet company standards, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recalls have now been expanded to include more cans.
“There have been no consumer reports of illnesses attributed to these products,” Steve Mavity, Bumble Bee’s senior vice president of technical services and corporate quality assurance, said in a statement. “But because we’ve identified an issue with seal tightness, we’re voluntarily recalling products to ensure the highest margin of safety and quality.”
Loose seals and seams can lead to bacterial contamination, which can cause food poisoning, according to the FDA.
“The health and safety of our consumers is paramount,” Shue Wing Chan, president of Chicken of the Sea’s maker Tri-Union Seafoods, said in a statement. “As soon as we discovered the issue, we took immediate steps to issue this voluntary recall by alerting our customers who received the product and by asking them to remove it from store shelves.”
The recalled cans were distributed to stores nationwide between Jan. 17 and March 6, according to the FDA. The original recalls covered cans distributed between Jan. 17 and Feb. 27. Consumers who purchased the recalled products are advised to dispose of them immediately.
“We must assure our consumers and retailers of a safe and quality product, so we very much appreciate everyone’s part in disposing of the products with the specific codes indicated,” Mavity said.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio