Full Breakdown
New Jersey Seafood Firm Recalls Nearly 333 lb of Buckhead Tuna Over Elevated Histamine Levels
By Drooid · · How we work
Recall Overview
Buckhead Meat Company, operating as Trinity Seafood in Lakewood, New Jersey, voluntarily initiated a recall of 332.9 pounds of its Buckhead tuna after the New Jersey Department of Health reported that two samples tested positive for high levels of scombrotoxin, a toxin linked to histamine poisoning. The recall, announced on July 24, covers refrigerated Styrofoam-packaged tuna sold in 10-, 12-, 15-, and 3-to-5-pound cases and distributed to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later classified the action as a Class II recall in September, indicating that exposure may cause temporary or medically reversible health effects. The recall remains listed as ongoing, with no termination date provided.
What Is Scombrotoxin?
Scombrotoxin, commonly referred to as histamine, forms when certain marine fish—particularly tuna and mackerel—undergo partial bacterial spoilage. Improper refrigeration or temperature abuse allows histamine-producing bacteria to proliferate, and the toxin is not destroyed by freezing, cooking, smoking, curing, or canning. The FDA describes scombroid poisoning as a “unique form of food poisoning” that typically produces symptoms resembling an allergic reaction.
Potential Health Effects
According to the FDA, symptoms of scombroid poisoning can appear within minutes to two hours after consumption and may include facial flushing, hives, swelling, short-term diarrhea, abdominal cramps, dizziness, nausea, headache, blurred vision, respiratory distress, and tongue swelling. Most cases are medically reversible, and severe outcomes are rare.
Regulatory and Industry Response
The FDA’s Class II designation signals that the agency considers the risk of serious harm to be low but advises consumers to discard the product. The agency also recommends that fish be kept properly refrigerated or frozen immediately after harvest to prevent bacterial growth. No press release accompanied the recall, and the FDA record shows no subsequent updates for the product.
Current Status
The recalled tuna remains listed in the FDA’s enforcement database, and retailers in the five affected states have been instructed to remove the product from shelves. Consumers who may have purchased the tuna are urged to return it to the point of sale or discard it safely.