Tri-Union Seafoods, a California-based company, is reportedly recalling its canned tuna products sold in several US states due to a defect. US media reports said Walmart, Costco, H-E-B, Kroger, Harry Teeter Trader Joe’s, and other grocery majors are among the stores to which the problematic cans were distributed.
Due to a manufacturing defect in the cans used, the tuna may cause "fatal food poisoning" if consumed by the people, forcing Tri-Union Seafoods to issue a voluntary recall. The said defect, according to the manufacturers, was with the pull-tab lid of the cans, which may affect the product seal of the fish over time. This can lead to leaks or contamination by bacteria.
According to reports, the products have not caused any known health hazards so far. The company asked people not to buy the canned tunas as they may have been exposed to "clostridium botulinum" bacterium. Commonly known as 'Botulism' toxication, it is a rare but serious illness that attacks a person's nerves, sometimes fatally.
What is Botulism food poisoning?
Botulism causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death if left untreated. Clostridium botulinum bacterium is capable of producing toxins in food, wounds, and the intestines of infants.
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Foodborne botulism is the most common type of illness that humans are prone to, USA's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website. It lists improperly canned, preserved, or fermented food items as common sources of foodborne botulism.
Why canned food items are unsafe if seals are broken?
Clostridium botulinum bacterium make spores, which act like protective coatings for the microbes. Spores help the bacteria survive in the environment, even in extreme conditions. The spores usually do not cause people to become sick, even when they're eaten. But under certain conditions, these spores can grow and make one of the most lethal toxins known.
Improperly canned provide the right conditions for spores to grow and make botulinum toxin, the website said. When people consume these products, they can become seriously ill, or even die, if they don't get proper medical treatment quickly.
