FDA Warns Consumers as 560 Pounds of Smoked Fish Are Recalled Over Botulism Risk
A New York seafood company has recalled approximately 560 pounds of cold-smoked fish following a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about a potential botulism risk. The affected fish was distributed in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, although federal officials say it may have reached additional states.
D&M Smoked Fish Inc., doing business as Haifa Smoked Fish Inc., initiated the recall on October 27, 2026, four days after the FDA publicly warned consumers and businesses against eating, selling, or serving the product.
According to the FDA’s official recall announcement, all lots of the affected cold-smoked sprats are included. The warning is particularly relevant to shoppers who purchased seafood from grocery counters, where the fish may have been sold without identifying labels.
FDA Warning Came Before the Company Recall
The situation began with an FDA inspection of D&M Smoked Fish Inc.’s facility in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
Federal inspectors found that the company was producing cold-smoked sprats without implementing required food safety controls designed to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum and the formation of its toxin.
The findings prompted the FDA to recommend recalling the affected product. However, when the agency issued its initial consumer warning on October 23, it reported that the company had declined that recommendation.
That position subsequently changed. On October 27, Haifa Smoked Fish initiated a recall covering approximately 560 pounds of cold-smoked sprats, including every lot of the affected product.
The distinction matters because earlier reporting from Food Safety News described the company’s initial refusal to recall the fish. That report reflected the situation on October 23, before the company announced its recall.
The FDA’s concern involves the absence of required production controls and the possibility of contamination. Its published notices do not establish that laboratory testing confirmed the recalled fish contained the bacteria or toxin.
How to Identify the Recalled Sprats
Unlike some grocery recalls involving clearly labeled consumer packages, this one presents an identification challenge.
The affected cold-smoked sprats were packed loose inside bulk cardboard boxes marked “Cold Smoked Sprats.” The company shipped the fish refrigerated, but the FDA says the product may subsequently have been sold through restaurants or grocery-store seafood counters.
That means shoppers might not have received the fish in its original packaging. Some portions may have been sold without a label identifying Haifa Smoked Fish as the supplier.
Another important detail involves storage. The FDA notes that the affected product may have been frozen for up to one year, making it important to consider fish purchased before the recent recall announcement.
The agency’s consumer warning and product identification guidance specifically addresses this uncertainty. Consumers who cannot determine whether their cold-smoked sprats came from Haifa Smoked Fish should not eat them and should throw them away.
The recall concerns cold-smoked sprats sold by this particular company. It does not mean every variety of smoked fish or every sprat product on the market is affected.
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Three States Identified, but Distribution May Extend Further
New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania are the three states specifically identified in the FDA notice.
According to the agency, the affected fish was distributed to retailers, restaurants, wholesalers, and food-service customers in those states. However, the FDA cautions that the product may have been distributed further, potentially reaching additional states.
That distinction is important for consumers outside the three named states. The distribution information should not be interpreted as confirmation that the recalled fish remained exclusively within those locations.
The FDA has not provided a complete list of individual grocery stores or restaurants that received the product in its published warning.
Reporting published by Quartz on October 28 also describes the recall’s distribution concerns and the possibility that the fish reached consumers through seafood counters without its original packaging.
What Consumers and Businesses Should Do
The FDA’s instructions are straightforward: Do not eat, sell, or serve the recalled cold-smoked sprats supplied by Haifa Smoked Fish Inc.
Consumers who have purchased cold-smoked sprats but cannot establish whether they came from the company should avoid eating them and discard them, according to the agency.
Anyone uncertain about whether a purchase is included in the recall should contact the place of purchase or supplier for clarification.
The FDA also advises consumers, retailers, wholesalers, and food-service businesses that purchased or received the recalled fish to carefully clean and sanitize surfaces and containers that came into contact with it.
These instructions apply even when the affected fish has already been removed from its original packaging.
The agency also warns that food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin can appear, smell, or taste normal. As a result, the appearance of the recalled fish should not be used to determine whether it is suitable for consumption.
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Refunds Available as Company Reports No Illnesses
Haifa Smoked Fish advises consumers who purchased the affected sprats to return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.
Customers with questions can contact the company at 718-523-8899, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, according to the recall announcement published by the FDA.
The company also stated that no illnesses had been reported at the time of its October 27 announcement. That statement reflects information available when the recall was issued and does not establish that the product is free of risk.
For shoppers who purchased cold-smoked sprats from a seafood counter, identifying the supplier may be the most important immediate step.
The FDA’s updated warning and the company’s official recall notice remain the primary references for product identification, distribution information, and any further instructions as the recall develops.
