The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to consumers and retailers, including restaurants, that scallops harvested from a prohibited area — which carry possible contamination — may have entered the market and consumers should beware.
Retailers in states including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Illinois were urged to take note if they have purchased live scallops from Intershell International Corp., as some may have been caught illegally from a prohibited part of waters off the coast of Massachusetts, the FDA said.
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The public health agency said in their guidance, "Scallops harvested from prohibited waters may be contaminated with human pathogens, toxic elements or poisonous or deleterious substances and can cause illness if consumed."
The FDA warns that scallops which are contaminated may still smell, look and taste normal.
The recall affects Intershell International Corp. scallops which were "received from an unlicensed harvester, allegedly harvested from a prohibited area" in Massachusetts waters and falsely labeled as having come from the harvest location FED 514.
The FDA said that sickness from eating contaminated scallops — which are filter feeders and can carry bacteria and pathogens — can range from mild to serious, with symptoms including diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
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