US-based company Bumble Bee Foods has issued a voluntary recall of more than 31,579 tuna products over contamination issues.
The company has cited "process deviations" to have occurred in a co-pack facility which is not owned or operated by Bumble Bee as the cause of the contamination.
In its release, Bumble Bee has stated that the deviations were part of the commercial sterilization process which could have given rise to the contamination by spoilage organisms or pathogens, which might cause life-threatening illnesses.
The recall is limited to three specific production codes of canned Chunk Light tuna which were produced and distributed in February 2016.
These products include 5 oz. Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5 oz. Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna in Oil, and 4-pack of 5 oz. Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna in Water.
Tuna products which are subject to this recall are marked with a can code that begins with a "T".
Bumble Bee is initiating the recall to preserve caution due to possible under-processing of the tainted products which were discovered by a co-packer during the routine quality audit testing.
So far, no illnesses have been reported with regards to the recalled items. The company also confirms that no other production codes or products are affected by this recall.
The company is collaborating with the co-packer and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eliminate the affected products from the commercial chain.
Consumers who have purchased the product are advised to discard the item. Customers can also get a refund for the recalled items.
Image: Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna. Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
