FDA warns consumers not to eat certain ASSI Brand frozen oysters

korean_oysters.jpg• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat certain ASSI Brand frozen oysters from Korea following an outbreak of illness in Washington state caused by norovirus.

• The frozen oyster meat (shucked; not in shell), is packed in 3-lb bags . Each bag is labeled ASSI Brand “INDIVIDUALLY QUICK FROZEN OYSTER” with a “Better if Used By” date of “2013.02.232.” Each bag identifies Central Fisheries Co. Ltd., as the packer and Korean Farms of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., as the distributor. Korean Farms has voluntarily agreed to recall these oysters.

• The individual bags are shipped in boxes of 10 bags each with the lot number C-110223, appearing on each shipping carton , along with a “SHUCKED DATE: 2011.02.24.

• These oysters, which were served in a Washington state restaurant and were eaten by three people who became ill, have been sampled and tested positive by FDA for norovirus genotypes I and II.

• There have been no reports of hospitalizations or deaths resulting from consuming the frozen oysters.

• Records indicate that this product was shipped to the states of Washington, California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, and Utah.

• Those who have recently purchased oysters should not eat them and should safely dispose of them in the trash or garbage disposal.

Certain ASSI Brand frozen oysters from Korea have been linked to an outbreak of illness in Washington state caused by norovirus. These oysters, which were served in a Washington state restaurant and eaten by three people who became ill, have been sampled and tested positive by FDA for norovirus genotypes I and II. The frozen oyster meat (shucked; not in shell), is packed in 3-lb bags. Each bag is labeled ASSI Brand “INDIVIDUALLY QUICK FROZEN OYSTER” with a “Better if Used By” date of 2013.02.232. Each bag identifies Central Fisheries Co. Ltd., as the packer and Korean Farms of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., as the distributor. The individual bags are shipped in boxes of 10 bags each with the lot number C-110223, appearing on each shipping carton, along with a “SHUCKED DATE: 2011.02.24.” Korean Farms has voluntarily agreed to recall these oysters.