Bumble Bee Foods announced a voluntary recall Wednesday because of possibly spoiled tuna that could lead to a "life-threatening illness," a
statement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website read.
Bumble Bee is recalling 31,579 cases with one of three specific UPC codes — 8660000020, 866000002, and 8660000736 — in the Chuck Light Tuna with Water and Chuck Light Tuna with Oil brands, according to the statement.
"The recall is being initiated out of an abundance of caution due to the possible under-processing of the affected products discovered by the co-packer during its routine quality audit," the statement said. "Bumble Bee is working closely with the co-packer and the FDA to expedite the removal of products from commerce."
The recalled tuna may have experienced "process deviations" at a co-pack facility not owned or operated by Bumble Bee.
"These deviations were part of the commercial sterilization process and could result in contamination by spoilage organisms or pathogens, which could lead to life-threatening illness if consumed," said the statement. "It is important to note that there have been no reports of illness associated with these products to date."
Bumble Bee suggests that customers dispose of the cans and call 888-820-1947 for reimbursement.
Last year, Bumble Bee agreed to pay $6 million for workplace safety violations in the death of
shift worker Jose Melena, the Los Angeles Times reported. Melena, a father of six, was accidentally trapped in a large industrial pressure cooker and cooked to death at 270 degrees in 2012.
The newspaper said at the time that the payment was the largest known payout for a workplace safety violation involving a single victim in a California criminal prosecution history.
The Times said the tuna giant also paid Melena's family $1.5 million in restitution, $750,000 to the district attorney's Environmental Enforcement Fund, and another $750,000 in combined fines, penalties, and court costs.
"Certainly, nothing will bring back our dad, and our mom will not have her husband back, but much can be done to ensure this terrible accident does not happen again," the family said in a statement last year, according to the Times.
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