Canned tuna sold at Costco, Trader Joe's, Walmart recalled: What to know

Canned tuna products sold at Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and other various grocery stores across the country have been recalled over a design concern that could potentially cause botulism.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a notice published on Feb. 10 that the recall involves select lots of canned tuna sold under the Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s brand names. 

Recalled canned tuna: What to know

What we know:

The voluntary recall is "out of an abundance of caution" after Tri-Union Seafoods learned from a supplier that the easy-open pull tab can lid on limited products had a manufacturing defect that could compromise the seal, "causing it to leak, or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum," which is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.

The recalled canned tuna was distributed to retail stores in the following states:

• H-E-B label - Texas
• Trader Joe’s label – Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin
• Genova 7 oz. - Costco in Florida and Georgia
• Genova 5 oz. - Harris Teeter, Publix, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, and independent retailers in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas
• Van Camp’s label – Walmart and independent retailers in Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey

The recalled products have specific can codes and Best if Used By dates indicated on the bottom of the cans, and the UPC numbers. Click here for a detailed list on the FDA’s website.

Why you should care:

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, botulism can result in difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and – in the most severe cases – death.

"When people eat these foods [contaminated with Clostridium botulinum], they can become seriously ill, or even die, if they don't get proper medical treatment quickly," the CDC's website notes.

Tri-Union Seafoods advised consumers to immediately seek medical attention if they feel unwell after eating one of the affected products – though no such case has been reported so far.

What you can do:

Anyone with a recalled tuna can should return it to the retailer for a full refund, throw it away, or contact Tri-Union Seafoods directly for a retrieval kit and a coupon for a replacement product. Consumers can contact Tri-Union Seafoods at support@thaiunionhelp.zendesk.com or 833-374-0171, if they have any questions or to request a replacement product. The toll-free number hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.