Nueva Pescanova frozen cooked crab from Ireland recalled over salmonella concerns

A Pescanova-branded frozen cooked crab product is facing a recall notice from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) over salmonella concerns.

The recall, issued 24 November, covers Nueva Pescanova’s Nécora Cocida Supercongelada product with the lot number 40224. The 500-gram product was sold at the Froiz and Mercamas supermarket chains in Galicia, Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, and Castilla y León, Spain. It has an expiration date of October 2024.

The presence of salmonella in the product was detected by Madrid food safety authorities and disseminated through Spain’s Coordinated System for Rapid Information Exchange (SCIRI). The product has since been removed from shelves and customers who purchased the product have been asked to avoid eating it. Posters have been placed in Froiz and Mercamas  markets alerting customers to the recall and offering a refund for the return of the recalled product.

“If you have consumed any of the products from the affected batches and present any symptoms compatible with salmonellosis (mainly diarrhea and/or vomiting accompanied by fever and headache), it is recommended to go to a health center,” AESAN said in a press release.

Pescanova said it is cooperating with Spanish authorities on the recall. However, it said it has sold the product for 40 years without issue because, it said, the product is precooked, a process that should kill all salmonella bacteria present on the product. According to La Voz de Galicia, Pescanova said it is possible there was an error in sample collection or that contamination of the sample occurred in the laboratory.

A secondary test of the product was scheduled to take place Monday, 27 November to verify the presence of salmonella in the product.

Pescanova reiterated "its commitment to guarantee the traceability and food safety of our products by applying the strictest quality controls throughout our entire value chain."

Photo courtesy of Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN)