FDA Warns Against Haifa Smoked Sprats Over Botulism Risk

A federal food safety warning is putting consumers, retailers, and restaurants on alert over cold-smoked sprats sold by Haifa Smoked Fish of Queens, New York, after inspectors found inadequate safeguards against a potentially fatal toxin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its initial advisory on October 23, 2026, and the company initiated a recall of approximately 560 pounds of fish on October 27.

The FDA identified Clostridium botulinum as the principal concern because the bacterium can grow and produce toxins that cause botulism, a serious illness affecting the nervous system. The agency said the fish had been produced without the required controls to prevent bacterial growth and toxin formation at the D&M Smoked Fish Inc. facility in Jamaica, Queens.

According to the FDA, the affected products include all lots of the company's cold-smoked sprats. No illnesses had been reported as of the recall announcement.

The fish was shipped refrigerated in bulk cardboard boxes and may have been sold loose, with or without labels, at grocery store seafood counters and restaurants. The FDA said the product may remain frozen for up to one year, meaning packages purchased earlier could still be stored in household freezers.

Distribution was confirmed in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, although the FDA warned that the product may have reached additional states. Retailers, wholesalers, restaurants, and food service operators have been instructed not to sell or serve the affected fish.

The agency's warning followed an inspection that identified deficiencies in the company's food safety controls. On October 23, the FDA recommended that D&M Smoked Fish Inc., which operates as Haifa Smoked Fish Inc., recall all affected sprats, but the company declined that request, according to the agency's advisory.

The FDA subsequently issued a public warning on October 23 and updated its notice on October 27 to reflect the company's recall announcement. Consumers who cannot establish whether their sprats came from Haifa Smoked Fish should avoid eating them and discard the product or contact the store or supplier.

The FDA also advised consumers and food businesses that handled the fish to thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces and containers the product touched to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

The company warned consumers against eating the affected fish regardless of its appearance or smell.

"even if it does not look or smell spoiled." the company said.

The FDA emphasized that contaminated food may appear normal despite containing a dangerous toxin. Its advisory states that food carrying Clostridium botulinum toxin can look, taste, or smell normal and still cause illness.

Botulism symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, muscle weakness, blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking or swallowing, dry mouth, constipation, and breathing problems. The illness can progress to descending paralysis and become fatal without intensive medical treatment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies botulism as a serious condition caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves. Anyone experiencing possible symptoms should seek immediate medical attention because botulism is a medical emergency.

The company has faced a similar food safety concern before. In March 2011, D&M Smoked Fish recalled cold-smoked sprats and Haifa-brand schmaltz herring after New York State Agriculture and Markets sampling found that the fish had not been properly eviscerated, a condition associated with botulism risk. That earlier recall involved products distributed to retailers in Brooklyn.