Salmonella outbreak linked to Moon Marine tuna product

Moon Marine USA (MMI) is voluntarily recalling 58,828lbs of frozen raw yellowfin tuna product in the US, after it was linked to a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly infection, reported the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The product subject to the recall is Nakaochi Scrape, a tuna backmeat that is specifically scraped off from the bones and looks like a ground product.

The product, labelled as ‘Nakaochi Scrape AA’ or ‘AAA Nakaochi Scrape’, is not available to individual customers, but is sold through distributors to restaurants and grocery stores that make sushi, sashimi, ceviche and similar dishes.

Although the company and product name were printed on the product boxes when it was initially sold, the boxes may have been separated into smaller lots for further distribution, making it difficult for retail outlets and customers to identify the product.

The Salmonella Bareilly outbreak has led to 116 illnesses in 20 states till date, 12 hospitalisations, but no deaths. The FDA said that several people who fell ill reported eating a ‘spicy tuna’ dish.

The FDA has advised consumers purchasing spicy tuna or other sushi, sashimi, ceviche, or similar dishes that might contain Nakaochi Scrape from restaurants or grocery stores to check with the establishment and ensure that the dish does not contain raw recalled product from MMI.

The agency has asked product sellers, including distributors and restaurants, to consult their suppliers to determine whether the Nakaochi Scrape AA or AAA in their possession was sourced from MMI.

The FDA is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners, to probe into the outbreak. It is also working with MMI to identify the contaminated product and to remove it from the marketplace.