Eight sickened from Florida oyster salmonella contamination; Lidl announces cocktail shrimp recall

Eight people have been sickened thus far by salmonellosis caused by ingesting wild-harvested oysters from around Cedar Key, Florida, U.S.A.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall notice for all oysters harvested from the FL-3012 area between 16 December, 2022, and 24 February, 2023. It said oysters from the affected area were sold in the U.S. states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, but it did not divulge the companies involved in distributing or selling the oysters to consumers.

Consumers who purchased oysters after 16 December, 2022, should check the packaging to see if they originated from the FL-3012 area. Packaged oysters should have the harvest area information printed on the packaging.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised consumers not to eat the oysters in question, and said restaurants and food retailers should dispose of the affected product. Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled, it said, and anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Contaminated oysters can cause illness, especially if eaten raw, and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of illness, the FDA said. 

Separately, Lidl US announced a recall on 3 March, 2023 of its 7-ounce containers of ready-to-eat Tapas-branded Cocktail Shrimp over potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The products was distributed to Lidl supermarkets in the U.S. states of Delaware, Washington D.C., Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Affected products will have a UPC of 4056489411499, and all product codes currently on the market are subject to the recall, the FDA said.

"The recall was issued as a result of routine testing, which revealed that the finished product contained the bacteria. Lidl performs this testing on an ongoing basis to help ensure safe and quality products for our customers," the FDA said in a press release. "Lidl US has ceased the production and distribution of the product as we continue our investigation in conjunction with the FDA to resolve the issue. Lidl US has received no reports or complaints of illness related to this product to date."

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

According to the recently released 2023 State of the Nation Recall Index, there were 416.9 million units recalled by the FDA of the food industry, a 700 percent increase in comparison to 2021.

Photo courtesy of Lidl