You probably keep smoked fish in the fridge for a quick breakfast topping or an easy party platter.
Many of us grab a vacuum-sealed pack from the store and forget about it. The expiration date can run years into the future.
One of those packs has now been pulled from shelves in six states. Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. of Brooklyn has issued a voluntary recall of its Starfish Seafood Trio.
The 8-ounce pack contains cold-smoked salmon, halibut and trout. State inspectors flagged a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
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The recall was announced through the FDA on October 9, 2026. The affected product carries lot number D139149161-153 and an expiration date of December 1, 2027. The fish was imported from Latvia.
The product was distributed in New York, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina. No illnesses have been reported.
The listeria concern
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause serious foodborne illness.
The potential contamination was identified by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, according to Food Safety News.
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Krasnyi Oktyabr is a wholesale distributor, not the maker of the product. It has told retailers to stop selling the affected packs and to notify their own customers.
Cold-smoked fish is cured but not fully cooked, which makes it one of the ready-to-eat foods most often tied to listeria.
The bacterium can also grow slowly inside a refrigerator, so even a properly chilled pack is not safe once contaminated.
Who is most at risk
Listeria can cause serious or fatal infection in older adults, newborns, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system. For healthy adults, an infection often looks like a stomach bug, with diarrhea and vomiting.
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The more serious form, called invasive listeriosis, can bring on fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion and loss of balance, according to the CDC.
In pregnant women the illness itself can be mild. But it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a life-threatening infection in the newborn.
Symptoms of invasive illness usually start within two weeks of eating a contaminated food, though they can appear the same day or many weeks later. Anyone in a high-risk group who ate the product and feels sick should contact a doctor.
What to do if you have the product
Check the fridge for the 8-ounce Starfish Seafood Trio with lot D139149161-153 and the December 1, 2027 expiration date. If you find it, do not eat it.
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Return the pack to the store where you bought it for a full refund, or throw it out in a sealed bag so pets and wildlife cannot reach it.
Consumers with questions can call Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. at (718) 858-6720, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.