By: Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe

There’s a new outbreak of Salmonella Newport illnesses today linked to raw frozen tuna products packaged by Louisiana-based Jensen Tuna.

Image/CDC

Currently, the CDC and FDA report that in this Tuna Salmonella Outbreak there are 13 confirmed illnesses in 7 states, including: Washington, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, New York, and Connecticut.

Just yesterday, Jensen Tuna issued a recall of its frozen ground tuna products that were packaged in 20-pound boxes and imported from JK Fish of Vietnam. The company distributed the products in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Washington. However, the products may have been redistributed elsewhere as well. The FDA confirmed it is “unlikely that the recalled ground tuna was sold directly to consumers in grocery stores; rather, it was likely used in food dishes sold by restaurants or retailers.”

In the meantime, the CDC and FDA recommend consumers ask if the tuna in their meals came from Jensen Tuna before eating it. If the restaurant or retailer is unsure, the CDC and FDA recommend consumers not eat the product.

The investigation is still ongoing. The CDC reminds the public that, as it takes 2-4 weeks to link a reported illness to an outbreak, there are likely to be additional cases linked to this outbreak.