Live and fresh spot prawns from Richmond and Vancouver companies have been recalled due to a possible norovirus contamination.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued the recall Tuesday night of “certain live spot prawns" from Tri-Star Seafood Supply on Voyageur Way in Richmond.
However, the agency updated its warning on Thursday morning to include both live and fresh spot prawns from Tri-Star, sold from May 20 to May 21, and all fresh ones sold at Deluxe Seafood Vancouver Ltd., on East Kent Avenue, from May 20 to 24.
The recall was triggered by findings by the CFIA during its investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak and here have been reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the product supplied by the Voyageur Way-based firm.
Live spot prawns are extremely popular in Metro Vancouver at this time of year, with people lining up for hours at Steveston Harbour to get their hands on the product.
What you should do
If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, call your doctor.
Check to see if you have the recalled product in your home or establishment.
Do not consume the recalled product. Do not serve, use, sell, or distribute the recalled product.
Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased.
Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the affected product are advised to contact their retailer.
You can report symptoms to (toll-free) by calling 1-800-442-2342 (Canada and U.S.) or 1-613-773-2342 (local or international). You can also email [email protected]
Symptoms of norovirus
People with norovirus illness usually develop symptoms of gastroenteritis within 24 to 48 hours, but symptoms can start as early as 12 hours after exposure. The illness often begins suddenly. Even after having the illness, you can still become re-infected by norovirus. The main symptoms of norovirus illness are diarrhea, vomiting (children usually experience more vomiting than adults), nausea and stomach cramps. Other symptoms may include low-grade fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and fatigue (a general sense of tiredness). Most people feel better within one or two days, with symptoms resolving on their own, and experience no long-term health effects. As with any illness causing diarrhea or vomiting, people who are ill should drink plenty of liquids to replace lost body fluids and prevent dehydration. In severe cases, patients may need to be hospitalized and given fluids intravenously.
What is being done
The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated food recall warnings.
The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing the recalled product from the marketplace.
