Consumers should check their refrigerators and pantry shelves after a food distributor issued a voluntary recall of certain dried seafood products this week.
Foremost Food, International, of Pomona, issued the recall of select Tomi brand dried seafood products potentially contaminated with a bacterium that can cause life-threatening illness or death, according to the Monterey County Department of Health.
Even if the product does not look or smell spoiled, consumers should immediately throw it away.
The recall sprang from the discovery that the manufacturer was not in compliance with Food and Drug Administration standards.
To date, no illnesses have been reported, but the botulism-inducing bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, can trigger the onset of a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, according to the FDA.
Symptoms of botulism include weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble speaking or swallowing. Other common symptoms include difficulty breathing, abdominal distension and constipation.
People experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.
The products were manufactured by Kien Long Seafood Company Ltd., of Vietnam, and distributed across California, Nevada and Washington between Sept. 23 and Oct. 20.
The products, which are sold in a clear plastic package, include dried baby squid, shrimp fry, and round scad, among others. Detailed information on the recall can be found on the FDA website.
Consumers with questions may contact Foremost Foods during business hours at (909) 525-9500, ext. 138.
