Just under a month ago, on December 10, 2011, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a public warning against certain batches of herring fillets sold under the “Bos” Brand out of concern for possible contamination with the bacteria Clostridium botulin. The toxin from this bacterium can cause botulism, a devastating and potentially fatal illness.
According to CFIA (our northern neighbor’s FDA):
The affected product, Bos brand “Naturally Smoked Herring Fillets – Natural”, was sold refrigerated in various weight packages from Ramaker’s Imports, St. Catharines, ON without a Best Before Date applied to the package. The affected product was sold by Ramaker’s Imports from September 2011 to December 7, 2011.
Consumers who have purchased refrigerated Bos brand “Naturally Smoked Herring Fillets – Natural” from any other retailer without a Best Before Date on the package are also advised not to consume the product.
To this point, CFIA reports no illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.