Costco Smoked Salmon Recall Issued Due to Salmonella Poisoning Risk

Hundreds of people may have suffered salmonella food poisoning from smoked salmon, which was sold in the Netherlands and at Costco stores in the United States.

A major smoked salmon recall was issued this week, after the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment determined that tainted salmon has been traced back to a Dutch company, Foppen, which also sells the fish to the U.S. based “big box” grocery store Costco.

At least 85 cases of salmonella poisoning have been linked to the recalled salmon in the United States since July 1 of this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These individuals all contracted the same strain of salmonella Thompson that has sickened more than 200 people in the Netherlands.

Foppen reports that the only fish supplied to the U.S. was sold to Costco Wholesale Corp., where it was packaged as Foppen Norwegian Smoked Salmon Slices in 12 ounce packages, and as Kirkland Signature Norwegian Imported Smoked Salmon in two 12 ounce packages. After learning about the connection between cases of salmonella poisoning and the Foppen smoked salmon, Costco immediately pulled the product from their store shelves and blocked the sale of the salmon at its stores.

Foppen is investigating the cause of the outbreak and believes to have narrowed the bacteria to one particular product line at one factory in Greece. The investigation is still pending, but all production of the smoked salmon has been ceased until it is completed.

Individuals who purchased Foppen smoked salmon are being urged not to eat the fish, and all packages should be disposed.

Apart from the illnesses in the Netherlands and the U.S., it is not believed that any other countries received the contaminated fish.

Salmonella is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhea, fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps and can last from four to seven days. Most people infected with the bacteria can recover without hospitalization or treatment; however in some more serious cases the illness requires hospitalization following severe diarrhea to treat for dehydration.

Approximately 42,000 cases of salmonella are reported in the U.S. each year and approximately 400 people die each year from acute salmonella infection.