How the Recall Began
Early last week, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services sent Country Road Seafood a notice about the discrepancy between the ingredient list and the items written on the packaging.
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The notice prompted the company to begin a formal recall of the 4-ounce packages, each containing two crab cakes. It is currently unknown who alerted the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Customer Services about the issue.
Who is Country Road Seafood?
The company behind the recent recall is a family of crabbers and fishermen based in North and South Carolina.
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The company produces items available for retail and wholesale. They specialize in soft-shell crabs, whole crabs, shrimp, scallops, oysters, and other fresh fish.
It Is Unknown How Many Products Are Affected
Country Road Seafood sells its crabcakes on retail shelves and to larger distributors, so the specific UPC or lot codes associated with each product are unknown.
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The company sells their crab cakes in vacuum-sealed clear plastic packages and has used the same recipe since August 26th, 2022.
No Illnesses Reported Yet
Thankfully, no illnesses or fatal allergy reactions have been reported to the authorities just yet. However, someone with a severe egg allergy could easily experience a fatal reaction to the allergen.
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Anyone with an egg allergy or sensitivity is recommended to throw out the product immediately.
Dangers of Unlisted Ingredients
Most recalls occur because of contaminated ingredients or inspections that uncover toxins like botulism. In this case, someone most likely alerted the authorities to the discrepancy in the packaging and the real ingredients inside the crab cakes.
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Egg allergies can be fatal; they have the ability to cause an anaphylaxis episode for someone with a serious allergy.
The Seriousness of the Situation
Undeclared allergens can threaten millions of people and are one of the leading causes of food recalls in the United States.
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People with life-threatening allergies are often very cautious about what packaged foods they eat. For some, even eating food made in the same factory as their allergen could put their health at risk. For this reason, companies are required to list all allergens within food and within the same factory so that customers can be sure of the safety of the product.
Recent Salmonella Outbreak Caused Many People To Fall Ill
In late January of this year, Quaker Oats recalled a large number of its products due to a salmonella outbreak in its quick oats.
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The outbreak of salmonella had the ability to poison and potentially kill anyone who ingested the product.
Other Crab-Related Recalls Issued Recently
Irvington Seafood issued a recall on their crab products earlier this week. One-pound tubs of “Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Clawmeat” have been contaminated with Listeria.
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The potentially deadly bacteria caused the company to react immediately to the issue.
Rise in Food Recalls Across Industries
Over the past two months, more products have been pulled off shelves due to concerns of contamination. Currently, multiple brands of cream cheese are being recalled due to fears of listeria.
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Also, almost one million bags of tea have been recalled due to the presence of pesticide residue inside them. Often, foods grown in moist environments are more susceptible to contamination. Things like lettuce, mushrooms, and sprouts are commonly recalled.
Report Found Recalls Are Increasing
A recent report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that recalls increased last year.
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As more companies begin to struggle with the recent bird-flu epidemic harming dairy cows across the country, more recalls on fresh products are expected to take place.