The Recall Desk
Agency classClass IOur severity:CriticalFDA (Food)·F-1317-2013·Announced 2013-04-24

Little Mermaid Pickled Herring Recalled for Potential Botulism Risk

Little Mermaid Smokehouse is recalling pickled herring found to be uneviscerated during an FDA inspection due to the potential for Clostridium botulinum.

The agency’s classification

FDA (Food): Class I

Class I is a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 5/5 (Critical).

Highest-severity recall. The hazard can cause serious injury or death. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly identifies the agency classification as Class I, which mandates a score of 5 according to the rubric. Additionally, the hazard involves Clostridium botulinum, a high-risk pathogen.

Plain-English summary

Little Mermaid Smokehouse is recalling approximately 44.5 lbs of Little Mermaid Brand Pickled Herring. The recall was initiated after an FDA inspection revealed that the smoked and pickled herring products were uneviscerated, meaning the internal organs were not removed.

The firm initiated the recall due to the potential for Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that can cause botulism. The affected products were sold in California prior to April 4, 2013. No specific lot codes were identified for the recalled items.

Consumers who purchased Little Mermaid Brand Pickled Herring in California before April 4, 2013, should stop using the product and contact the recalling firm for instructions on disposal or return.

The recalled product

Product
Little Mermaid Brand Pickled Herring.

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Lot numbers (1)

  • No codes. Products sold prior to 04/04/2013.

Distribution

Distributed in 1 state:

Part of a larger recall action

This product is one of 2 recalled by Little Mermaid Smokehouse under a single FDA (Food) recall action. The agency files each product separately, so the size of the action is not visible from this page alone.

See all 2 products in this recall →

Same manufacturer · Little Mermaid Smokehouse

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