Several products with smoked salmon are being taken off the market to avoid further food intoxication cases. (Photo: NVWA/FIS)

Hundreds of people hit by salmonella from infected salmon

NETHERLANDS
Tuesday, October 02, 2012, 23:40 (GMT + 9)

About 300 people who had consumed Dutch smoked salmon were infected with salmonella in the US and the Netherlands, according to Dutch health authorities. Given this situation, Dutch fish producer Foppen is taking its smoked salmon off the shelves.

The National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) specified that some 200 people in the Netherlands and about 100 people in the US have fallen ill.

This could just be the "tip of the iceberg," said the institute's Hareld Wychgel, BBC reports.

"The real number of infected people is likely to be much higher," admitted the official.

Foppen supplies major supermarket chains such as Albert Heijn, said the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

All smoked salmon produced by Foppen has since been taken off the shelves and removed from storage fridges in the Netherlands, and an international recall targeting salmon sold in the US was being geared up.

The NVWA announced the news late last week, when it issued a recall and warned consumers against eating smoked salmon produced by Foppen, AFP reports.

Foppen has voiced its "sincere apologies for any inconvenience" on its website and offered to reimburse customers for their purchases of the infected product.

The products in question include the following: smoked salmon cubes, salmon sandwich slices, hot smoked salmon, salmon salad, Scottish salmon fillet, Sockeye salmon, long sliced salmon and smoked salmon salad, according to the firm’s website.

Salmonella infection normally causes diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and sometimes fever and vomiting in its victims, said the UK's Health Protection Agency. While the symptoms usually clear up in four to seven days without treatment, some cases require intervention for dehydration.

A California-based company issued a recall of 58,828 lb (26,684 kilos) of a ground fish product known as "tuna scrape" in April. The product had been imported to the US from India; the salmonella outbreak affected 116 people.

Related article:

- Yellowfin tuna product recalled due to salmonella infection

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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