UPDATE: Tri-Union Seafoods, maker of the Chicken of the Sea tuna brand, has initiated its own recall this week — 107,280 5 oz. cans. The company also said this was due to process deviations, specifically an equipment malfunction. Tri-Union didn't specify where the deviation occurred except that the company discovered it during a "routine inspection." No illnesses have been reported.
Dive Brief:
- Bumble Bee Foods is recalling more than 31,500 cases of Chunk Light Tuna under three UPC codes due to process deviation and potential spoilage. No illnesses have been reported.
- The process deviations were part of the commercial sterilization process, which means the product could be contaminated by spoilage organisms or pathogens.
- The errors took place at a third-party co-pack facility not owned or operated by Bumble Bee.
Dive Insight:
Process deviations could be obvious, such as unsanitary conditions or contamination with foreign objects such as glass or metal parts. But they could also include issues with temperature and packaging pouch thickness, according to DVM360 Magazine.
Bumble Bee didn't disclose what the process deviation was in this recall. And because the deviation happened at a third-party facility, it's unclear whether Bumble Bee would be responsible should anyone become ill if indeed the products are contaminated and consumed. Considering how serious the Department of Justice is taking food safety cases, consequences wouldn't be light.