Canned Tuna From Trader Joe’s, Costco, Walmart Recalled for Botulism Risk
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Canned Tuna From Trader Joe’s, Costco, Walmart Recalled for Botulism Risk

Faulty easy-open cans may leak or let in harmful bacteria, said the manufacturer, Tri-Union Seafoods.
Canned Tuna From Trader Joe’s, Costco, Walmart Recalled for Botulism Risk
Ermak Oksana/Shutterstock; Everyday Health

Canned tuna sold at popular retailers like Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Walmart has been recalled by the manufacturer, Tri-Union Seafoods, because of faulty easy-open lids.

These lids could leak over time or let in the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which if consumed can cause botulism, according to a company announcement posted Monday on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

C. botulinum can cause potentially life-threatening food poisoning. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Recalled cans have best-by dates in 2027 and 2028. A full list of UPC codes can be found on the FDA’s website.

The recalled tuna was sold at the following stores in the following states:

  • H-E-B label, sold in Texas
  • Trader Joe’s label, sold in Delaware; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Maryland; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Nebraska; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Virginia; Washington, DC; and Wisconsin
  • Genova (7 oz), sold at Costco in Florida and Georgia
  • Genova (5 oz), sold at 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, sold at Walmart and independent retailers in Pennsylvania, Florida, and New Jersey

If you have any of the recalled tuna, you should return it for a full refund at the place of purchase or throw it out. You should not eat the tuna, even if it doesn’t look or smell spoiled, Tri-Union says.

What Is Botulism?

Botulism is a rare but life-threatening type of food poisoning caused by the toxin C. botulinum. It can cause muscle weakness that makes it harder to breathe, and may even lead to death.

Common symptoms of botulism include:

  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Muscle weakness
  • Double vision
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Blurry vision
  • Slurred speech
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty moving the eyes

Foodborne botulism may also cause:

  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Stomach pain
  • Diarrhea

Botulism is a medical emergency. If you think you have it, you should seek medical care immediately.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Tri-Union Seafoods Issues Recall of Select Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s Tuna Cans Due to Clostridium Botulinum Risk. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. February 10, 2025.
  2. About Botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  3. Botulism Symptoms. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emily Kay Votruba

Fact-Checker
Emily Kay Votruba has copyedited and fact-checked for national magazines, websites, and books since 1997, including Self, GQ, Gourmet, Golf Magazine, Outside, Cornell University Press, Penguin Random House, and Harper's Magazine. Her projects have included cookbooks (Padma Lakshmi's Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet), self-help and advice titles (Mika Brzezinski's Know Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You're Worth), memoirs (Larry King's My Remarkable Journey), and science (Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Learn, by Cathy Davidson). She started freelancing for Everyday Health in 2016.
Monroe-Hammond-article

Monroe Hammond

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Monroe Hammond joined Everyday Health in 2021 and now runs the news desk as an editor. They received a master’s degree from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, as well as a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Emory University in Atlanta.

Hammond has written and edited explainers on a number of health and wellness topics, including racial disparities in HIV treatment, the metabolic benefits of cold exposure, how the flu shot works, and solutions for seasonal dermatology woes. They have also edited pieces on the latest developments from NASA, the health repercussions of climate change, and the cutting edge of quantum physics. Their work has appeared in Popular Science, Insider, Psychology Today, and Health Digest, among other outlets.

Before turning to journalism, Hammond taught English while living in Thailand and Malaysia. They were born and raised in the American South, and currently live in Brooklyn with their spouse, three cats, and too many houseplants to count.