Tuna recalls span canned tuna, pouched tuna, fresh and frozen tuna steaks, and prepared tuna products. Because tuna is one of the most widely consumed seafood products in the United States, recalls can affect millions of cans or pouches across many brands. There are currently multiple food recalls tracked on Recall Tracker, including tuna and other seafood products.
This page explains how to check your specific product, why tuna is recalled, which agencies oversee these recalls, and what steps to take if your product is affected.
Step 1: Locate the lot code and best-by date.
For canned tuna, the lot code is embossed on the bottom or top rim of the can. For pouched tuna, it is printed on the back of the pouch near the sealed edge. These codes identify the production batch and are the primary identifiers in recall notices.
Step 2: Note the UPC barcode.
The UPC code identifies the specific product, size, and variety. Different flavors and pack sizes of the same brand have different UPCs and may or may not all be affected by the same recall.
Step 3: Search Recall Tracker.
Go to Recall Tracker and search your brand name. Compare the lot code and best-by date on your product against the affected ranges listed in any recall notices returned.
Step 4: Use the barcode scanner.
The barcode scanner at /scan lets you scan the UPC directly to check against the recall database. This is the fastest method for verifying a specific can or pouch.
Step 5: Set up brand alerts.
Visit brands and follow your tuna manufacturer to receive automatic notifications if future recalls are issued for that brand.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has primary jurisdiction over tuna recalls. Canned tuna, pouched tuna, and most packaged tuna products are regulated as processed seafood under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA also oversees the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements specific to seafood processing, which are designed to prevent histamine formation and other seafood-specific hazards. See the FDA agency page for more on how FDA recall authority works.
USDA (Food Safety and Inspection Service) may be involved when tuna is a component in a mixed product that also contains meat or poultry.
Histamine toxicity is the most distinctive hazard associated with tuna and the most common reason for tuna recalls. Tuna, along with other fish in the Scombridae family (mahi-mahi, mackerel, bluefish), has high levels of free histidine in its flesh. When the fish is not kept at proper refrigeration temperatures after harvest — during catch-to-vessel handling, transport, or processing — naturally occurring bacteria convert histidine into histamine at a rapid rate. Once histamine forms, it cannot be destroyed by cooking, canning, or any heat process.
Histamine poisoning causes symptoms that mimic an allergic reaction: flushing of the face and neck, headache, burning or itching sensation in the mouth, hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, respiratory difficulty and low blood pressure. Symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours of eating contaminated fish and generally resolve within hours, though more serious cases require medical treatment.
Temperature abuse at any point in the supply chain — from the fishing vessel to the processing plant to the distribution warehouse — can create conditions for histamine formation. A single batch of tuna improperly cooled before canning can affect thousands of units.
Tuna products are commonly manufactured on shared lines with products containing soy, wheat, milk, or other allergens. Undeclared soy is a particularly common issue because soy-based broths or flavorings are used in some tuna formulations, and cross-packing errors can result in soy-containing product being placed in packaging that does not declare soy. For individuals with soy allergies, this presents a genuine risk.
Prepared tuna products — tuna salad kits, tuna with crackers, flavored tuna pouches — are at higher risk for undeclared allergens than plain canned tuna in water due to the greater number of ingredients involved.
Bulging cans, improper seaming, denting that compromises can integrity, or failures in the retort sterilization process can allow microbial contamination including Clostridium botulinum into canned tuna. Botulism toxin is one of the most acutely dangerous food safety hazards. Canned tuna recalls citing can integrity issues should be treated with the utmost seriousness. Do not consume from any can that is bulging, leaking, or deeply dented along the seam.
Tuna products have been subject to recalls for mislabeling, including failure to declare the species of tuna (which is required on the label), incorrect country of origin declarations, and in some cases substitution of a lower-value tuna species for a higher-value one. While species mislabeling recalls may not present a direct health hazard, they constitute a violation of federal labeling law and a consumer fraud concern.
Stop consuming it immediately. Set the cans or pouches aside and do not allow other household members to eat them.
Check all cans of the same brand in your pantry. If you buy tuna in bulk, verify every can against the recalled lot range. Unaffected cans with different lot codes remain safe.
Contact a healthcare provider if symptomatic. Histamine poisoning symptoms appear quickly — within minutes to two hours after eating. If you experience flushing, hives, headache, difficulty breathing, or gastrointestinal symptoms after eating tuna, seek medical attention. Tell your provider you ate tuna and describe your symptoms. Antihistamines and, in severe cases, epinephrine may be used in treatment.
Keep the can or pouch. Retain the product with the lot code and UPC visible for any healthcare provider and for claiming a refund.
Contact the manufacturer. Recall notices include refund instructions. Most canned tuna recalls offer a full refund or replacement by mail.
Dispose of the product safely. Do not attempt to taste-test a recalled product to check for spoilage — histamine-contaminated tuna often has a normal taste and smell. Seal and discard.
Report illness. If you become ill, report to the FDA at fda.gov/safety/medwatch and to your local or state health department.
Not reliably. Histamine-contaminated tuna may have a peppery, sharp, or unusual taste, or the fish may appear slightly discolored, but in many cases it looks, smells, and tastes completely normal. The only reliable way to know is to check whether the lot code on your product matches an active recall.
Histamine poisoning symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours of eating contaminated tuna. If you have consumed a recalled product and are within that window, monitor for symptoms including flushing, headache, hives, nausea, or burning in the mouth. Symptoms are usually self-limiting and resolve within a few hours, but severe reactions require medical treatment. If more than 24 hours have passed and you feel well, histamine poisoning is unlikely from that specific meal.
Tuna recalls are typically specific to particular lot codes and best-by date ranges that correspond to a specific production run or batch of fish. Other cans or pouches from the same brand with different lot codes are generally unaffected. Always compare the full lot code on your specific product against the recalled ranges listed in the notice.
Tuna and other seafood products have a higher rate of recall compared to many other shelf-stable products due to the inherent temperature sensitivity of fish. Histamine formation is an ongoing industry challenge, and recalls occur regularly. Search Recall Tracker to see current and recent tuna recalls.
Search all food recalls to check your specific brand and lot code, and browse food brands to set up automatic alerts for your tuna brands. You can also visit the FDA agency page for more on seafood safety oversight. As of {{CURRENT_DATE}}, Recall Tracker is actively monitoring recalls from FDA, USDA, and seven additional agencies.
One of the biggest recent tuna recalls started on February 7, 2025, when Tri-Union Seafoods recalled select canned tuna sold under Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B, and Trader Joe’s because of a pull-tab lid defect that could raise the risk of Clostridium botulinum contamination. On January 19, 2026, the FDA posted a follow-up notice saying additional Genova cans tied to that earlier recall had reached limited retailers. Use `/brands` to check your label, then confirm the can code and best-by date on the bottom of the can.
For canned tuna, the key identifiers are the brand name, UPC, can code, and “Best if Used By” date, which are often printed on the bottom or near the lid. For pouches, fresh tuna, and prepared items like tuna salad, lot numbers and sell-by dates matter more than the front label. The fastest way to check is to scan the package in `/scan` and compare it against the current brand listings in `/brands`.
Tuna recalls usually happen for a few repeat reasons: can-seal failures that create botulism risk, histamine buildup from temperature abuse in fresh or frozen tuna, Listeria contamination in prepared tuna salads or poke, and undeclared allergens in mixed products. Histamine poisoning is a known issue with tuna because the fish can develop high histamine levels after spoilage, even before obvious odor changes appear. If you want to see how those causes trend over time, `/statistics` gives a clearer picture than headline alerts alone.
If the recall involves possible botulism, the FDA advises not to eat the product even if it looks or smells normal, and to seek immediate medical care if you feel ill. With histamine-related tuna illness, symptoms can start within minutes to a few hours and often include flushing, headache, rash, nausea, or a peppery taste; FDA guidance says symptoms usually last about 4 to 6 hours and rarely more than 1 to 2 days. Keep the package if you still have it, and use `/scan` or `/brands` to confirm the exact product before discarding the rest.
Yes. Canned tuna recalls often center on packaging defects or shelf-stable contamination risks, while tuna salad, sandwiches, sushi, and poke are more often recalled for Listeria, ingredient cross-contamination, or cold-chain failures. That means a deli tuna salad recall may depend on a sell-by window or store location rather than a can code, so `/scan` is useful for packaged items and `/brands` helps when the recall is tied to a retailer or prepared-food label. If you track multiple tuna products at home, Premium at `/pricing` is the simplest way to keep a closer watch on repeat purchases.