You probably buy smoked salmon without thinking twice.
It sits in the fridge for days, ready for a bagel or a salad. Most of the time, that cold shelf is all the safety you need.
The FDA has escalated two Starfish Seafood recalls to Class I, the highest severity level, over possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The upgrade was made on November 3, 2026, more than a month after the wholesale distributor, Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. of Brooklyn, first pulled the products on October 6.
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Two products are affected, both made in Latvia.
The first is Starfish Seafood Premium Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon Sliced in 227g/8oz vacuum packs. The pack carries UPC 4751048940099 and lot D080-148, with a best-before date of November 27, 2027.
According to the FDA recall notice, the salmon went to New York, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The second product is the Starfish Seafood Trio, an 8-ounce vacuum-sealed pack of cold-smoked salmon, halibut and trout. It carries lot D139149161-153 and a best-before date of December 1, 2027.
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The Trio notice lists distribution in New York, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina.
About 86 cases of each product were pulled. No illnesses have been reported so far.
A Class I recall
The FDA splits recalls into three tiers.
The FDA defines Class I as 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.
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It is the strongest warning the agency issues. The tier is kept for products that could kill or seriously harm whoever eats them.
Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. did not make the salmon. It distributed it to retailers, then asked those customers to stop selling it.
Shoppers who have either product at home are told not to eat it and to take it back to the store for a full refund.
Cold storage does not stop this bug
Most food bugs slow down or die in the fridge. Listeria does not.
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The FDA warns that unlike most bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes can grow and multiply at low temperatures, making it a potential problem even in properly refrigerated food.
That is why cold-smoked fish and other ready-to-eat items get flagged so often. They sit cold and go on the plate without further cooking.
Heat does kill Listeria. The agency notes that contaminated ready-to-eat products can be safely eaten if reheated until steaming hot.
That is not how most people serve smoked salmon.
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The highest risk
Listeria rarely bothers a healthy adult. In the groups it does hit, it hits hard.
The FDA says listeriosis "occurs almost exclusively in pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems."
That also covers people on chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients and those with HIV or advanced diabetes.
In pregnancy the infection can cause miscarriage, premature birth or a life-threatening infection in the baby.
The mother herself often has only a fever, muscle aches and tiredness, which is why the illness is easy to miss.
The incubation window is also unusual. The FDA notes that symptoms usually appear within two weeks of eating contaminated food, but they can start the same day or arrive as late as 10 weeks later.
In pregnant women the gap tends to be even longer.
A product bought in early October could still cause illness now.
What to do if the product is in your kitchen
Pull the pack out and read the small print. If the UPC is 4751048940099 for the Norwegian Salmon, or if the lot is D139149161-153 for the Trio, and the best-by dates match, do not eat it and do not taste it to check.
Wrap it, return it to the store for a refund, then wash the shelf, drawers and any containers it touched with hot soapy water.
Listeria can cling to cold surfaces.
Anyone who ate either product in the last 10 weeks should watch for symptoms.
Warning signs include a high fever, muscle aches, severe headache, nausea, a stiff neck, confusion or loss of balance.
Call a doctor and mention the possible Listeria exposure.
Pregnant women with even a plain fever should do the same. Testing and early antibiotics can change how the illness ends, especially for the baby.
This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.