Two Minnesota residents sickened recently with salmonellosis are linked to frozen raw tuna, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) said today.

The ill Minnesotans are adults in their 30s from the metro area who became ill on June 21 and June 30. Neither was hospitalized. These cases, which are part of a larger national outbreak (See CDC: Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella), were linked to spicy tuna rolls purchased at a grocery store and a workplace cafeteria. The outbreak strain of Salmonella bacteria was found in sealed bags of frozen raw tuna from the lot used to make the spicy tuna rolls eaten by one of the cases.

tuna1tuna2The tuna product is packaged in frozen, vacuum-sealed bags without a brand or other name. The contaminated lot of tuna can be identified from labels on the tuna bags (Photo A) and product information on the enclosing box (Photo B) that bear the lot number 68568 and country of origin of Indonesia. The tuna was distributed by Osamu Corporation (Gardena, CA). Retail stores should not sell and consumers should not eat tuna from this lot.

Grocery stores and other retail outlets should check their raw tuna supply for bags or boxes labeled with Lot 68568 from Indonesia (check with your supplier or shipping receipts/invoices if individual bags are not labeled). Tuna from this lot may be contaminated and should be discarded and not sold or served.

As of June 4, 2015, a total of 53 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+) have been reported from nine states. Ten ill people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.  Arizona 10, California 31, Illinois 1, Mississippi 1, New Mexico 6, South Dakota 1, Virginia 1, Washington 1, Wisconsin 1, Total ill persons 53.

As a result of the ongoing investigation, the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department working with the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory identified Salmonella Newport in one sample and Salmonella Weltevreden in another sample of frozen raw ground tuna products.

The unopened frozen ground tuna products represented two different lots of product imported from Indonesia by Osamu Corporation of Gardena, California.

On May 27, Osamu Corporation recalled[PDF- 1 page] the two lots of ground frozen yellowfin tuna imported from Indonesia due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Restaurants and retailers should not sell or serve recalled[PDF- 1 page ground frozen yellowfin tuna imported from Indonesia by Osamu Corporation.

People at higher risk for serious foodborne illness should not eat any raw fish or raw shellfish, regardless of an ongoing outbreak. These groups include:

  • Children younger than 5 years
  • Adults older than 65
  • Pregnant women
  • People with weakened immune systems.

Salmonella: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants. The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.