Over 46,800 Pounds Of This Fish Product Is Being Recalled

KEY POINTS

A company is recalling its fresh and frozen catfish products
The USDA's FSIS found that the products did not have a mark of inspection
Consumers who still have these products in their freezers are urged not to eat it

Illinois-based Otten's Seafood is recalling over 46,800 pounds of catfish products that didn't have the "benefit of federal inspection" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

According to the FSIS announcement, the issue was discovered during a routine surveillance wherein the company's fresh and frozen catfish were found to not have the necessary mark of inspection from the USDA. What's more, the agency found that the products were produced in an establishment that hasn’t been inspected by the agency.

Catfish inspection was previously a responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with other seafood but was later moved to the FSIS' jurisdiction, The Food Industry Association said. Since then, the FSIS has been responsible for enforcing the requirements for "harvesting, processing and selling" Siluriformes, including catfish, under the Federal Meat Inspection Act.

"No establishment may process or prepare fish, fish parts, or fish products capable of use as human food, or sell, transport, or offer for sale or transportation in commerce any of these articles without inspection under these regulations, except as expressly exempted in §532.3," the Code of Federal Regulations said regarding the mandatory inspection of Siluriformes fish and fish products.

The catfish products affected by the current recall were produced from Jan. 25 to May 21 this year and distributed to retail and wholesale stores in Indiana and Illinois. It affects the "IQF Frozen Catfish Steaks Net Weight 30.00 LB" and "40 + Oz Fresh Catfish Whole Net Weight 30.00 LB," both of which come in 30-lb bags and cardboard boxes. Labels of the affected products can be seen here.

So far, there have been no reports of consumers having adverse reactions from eating the recalled catfish products, the FSIS said, but it is encouraging those who may have purchased the products to not eat them and dispose of them instead or bring them to where they bought it.

"FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers," the government agency said.

Those with questions about the recall may contact Otten's Seafood at (312) 833-4585 .