Costco recalls salmon products over listeria contamination concern

(CNN) — Costco is recalling smoked salmon products over possible listeria contamination.

Listeria is a bacteria that contaminates foods and can cause listeriosis, which is the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the US. Listeria can spread in food processing facilities, according to the US Center for Disease Controls and Prevention.

Costco said certain packages of its Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon purchased between October 9 and October 13 are affected by the recall, according to an October 22 letter to customers.

Packages with the lot number 8512801270 – located in the top right of the front packaging – should not be consumed. Customers can return packages to Costco for a full refund.

The recall was initiated by the store’s smoked salmon supplier, Acme Smoked Fish Corp., which identified potential listeria bacteriain its product. No illnesses have been reported.

Costco’s recall comes at a time of increased attention on food-borne illnesses.

In July, over 7.2 million pounds of Boar’s Head liverwurst and other deli meats were recalled following a deadly outbreak of listeria. There have been at least 10 reported deaths and 59 hospitalizations across 19 states due to the listeria outbreak, according to the CDC.

The century-old deli meat producer has since discontinued sales of liverwurst and closed the Virginia plant that was the center of the outbreak. Boar’s Head has faced scrutiny from lawmakers after it was revealed that reports as early 2022 indicated the potential for listeria contamination at a company food processing plant.

Besides listeria, there has been an outbreak of E. coli associated with Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s stores in several states. There have been 75 reported illnesses due to the E. coli outbreak, with 22 hospitalizations and at least one death across 13 states, according to the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration.

In October, there have multiple instances of recalls like Costco’s salmon products due to potential listeria contamination, according to the FDA, which tracks public announcements. While the recalls come on the heels of the Boar’s Head listeria outbreak and McDonald’s E. coli outbreak, experts told CNN that an increase in recalls over potential contamination isn’t necessarily cause for concern.

Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, told CNNit’s critical to distinguish between a recall and an actual listeria outbreak.

On October 24, the FDA announced a recall of chicken taco kits produced by Sprouts Farmers Markets over potential listeria contamination. The items had previously been recalled by the producer on October 11, according to a news release. On October 22, an expanded recall over potential listeria contamination was issued for waffle and pancake products produced by Treehouse Foods, according to the FDA. The food processing company previously recalled dozens of frozen waffle products sold at Target, Walmart, Publix and other stores over potential listeria contamination on October 18, according to a news release.

Earlier in October, nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry were recalled by producer BrucePac due to possible listeria contamination, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The enormous recall affected dozens of frozen and ready-to-eat chicken products across stores and schools nationwide.

There has been an uptick in recalls over potential listeria concerns, but that does not mean there’s been a new increase in listeria outbreaks, Diez-Gonzalez said. Outbreaks indicate people have fallen ill, while recalls happen because of the detection of potential contamination.

There have been zero reported illnesses from the listeria-related October recalls, and recalling the products in time can help prevent illnesses, Diez-Gonzalez said.

According to the CDC, a foodborne disease outbreak is classified as when two or more people fall ill from the same contaminated product. There has been one listeria outbreak in 2024, according to the CDC, which was the Boar’s Head outbreak.

Increased food recalls can signal improved testing in a complicated food system

According to the FDA’s dashboard of recalls, there have been 1,905 recalled food or cosmetic products in 2024, up from 1,563 in 2023. Yet 2024 recalls are generally in line with or below pre-pandemic levels. For example, there were 2,549 recalled food or cosmetic products in 2014, a decade prior.

According to a spokesperson for the FDA, the number of food-related recall events in 2024 is generally consistent with prior years.

“There may be a perception that the amount of recalls has increased particularly if one recall event has a large number of affected products, however the number of food related recall events in (2024) is generally consistent with years past,” the spokesperson said.

In fact, Diez-Gonzalez said the recent upticks in recalls could be evidence of heightened precautions and monitoring by companies.

“There are more companies testing,” Diez-Gonzalez said. “It’s not that the numbers of products contaminated really are increasing, but the more we have those systems in place, the more you’re going to be finding it, and the more you’re going to recall.”

Additionally, Diez-Gonzalez said the food system in the US is complicated, and one factor that has contributed to the size of the recalls has been the consolidation of the food supply, where one processing company like BrucePac has distribution to multiple states across the country.

Diez-Gonzalez also said that across the past two decades, there has been an increased focus on microbiological testing and implementing surveillance processes to detect potential instances of listeria.

“As a result of enhanced surveillance and enhanced testing, the frequency of withdrawal of products from market has increased,” he said.

The CDC estimates that about 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year, resulting in about 260 deaths. Deli meats can be particularly susceptible to listeria outbreaks, according to the CDC, and the bacteria can spread across surface counters.

Recalls tend to not bode well for companies’ reputations, and in an ideal scenario, they would identify contaminated products before they reach the market, Diez-Gonzalez said.

Yet, the detection of potential listeria contamination does not necessarily mean an outbreak will occur, and the fact those items were identified and recalled could portend well for preventing illness, Diez-Gonzalez said.

Consumers who have questions about food safety can call the USDA at 888-674-6854.