Canned Tuna Sold at Trader Joe’s and Costco Is Recalled Over Botulism Risks

Canned tuna sold at grocery stores in 26 states and in Washington, D.C., was recalled because of botulism risks, the Food and Drug Administration and Tri-Union Seafoods said on Friday.

The F.D.A. said that Tri-Union Seafoods had voluntarily recalled the tuna “out of an abundance of caution” after being notified of potential issues with the product seal. The “easy open” pull tab on some products, including those sold at Trader Joe’s and Costco, was defective, meaning that the tuna could have been contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.

Here’s what to know.

Which brands are affected and where?

Here’s a list of all products affected.

Products include:

• Trader Joe’s-label canned tuna in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

• Genova 7 oz. canned tuna from Costco in Florida and Georgia.

• Genova 5 oz. canned tuna from Harris Teeter, Publix, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart and independent retailers in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas.

What should you do if you have the recalled cans?

Throw them out. The toxin that causes botulism cannot be seen, tasted or smelled, and even a small bite of food with the toxin can be deadly. Contact the store where you purchased the tuna or Tri-Union Seafoods for a coupon for a replacement product at [email protected] or 833-374-0171.

The recall does not affect other Tri-Union Seafoods products.

Has anyone gotten sick?

No. There have not been any illnesses associated with the recalled products.

What is botulism?

Botulism is an illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves, paralyzes muscles and causes difficulty breathing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can be fatal.

Most outbreaks stem from homemade products, rather than from commercially manufactured ones. Improperly home-canned or fermented food can provide the right conditions for spores to grow and make botulinum toxin. If in doubt about whether home-canned food is safe to eat, you should throw it out rather than taste it, the C.D.C. says.

Signs of contamination include containers that are damaged or bulging, and you should throw away preserved food that has a bad odor. The C.D.C. recommends refrigerating canned or pickled foods after opening them.

How common are botulism outbreaks?

Outbreaks are rare but can be life-threatening. In 2023, a woman in France died and at least a dozen other people became ill with botulism after eating homemade sardine preserves at an organic wine bar in central Bordeaux. In 2019, U.S. health departments reported 21 cases of food-borne botulism to the C.D.C.

Jonathan Wolfe contributed reporting.