SAN DIEGO – Bumble Bee Foods has issued a voluntary recall of 3.75-ounce cans of smoked clams after testing by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration discovered PFAS chemicals.
According to an FDA news release issued Wednesday, Bumble Bee LLC of San Diego said the recall only applies to a 3.75 can of Bumble Bee Smoked Clams with the UPC Label No. 8660075234. The clams came from a third-party manufacturer in China.
PFAS chemicals — Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are artificially made and do not break down easily in human bodies, the FDA said.
“Available studies suggest associations between PFAS exposure and several health outcomes,” the recall notice states, “including but not limited to increased cholesterol levels, increases in high-blood pressure and pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, developmental effects, decreases in immune response, change in liver function, and increases in certain types of cancer.”
There have been no reports of illnesses associated with this recalled product, the FDA said. The smoked clams were distributed nationwide to a limited number of retailers. Bumble Bee said it issued the recall out of an abundance of caution after learning of the FDA’s test results.
Consumers who have bought the recalled products should discard them, the FDA said. Consumers with questions about the recall or reimbursement can contact Bumble Bee Consumer Affairs at 888-295-3627 from 9 a..m to 6 p.m. EDT Mondays through Fridays. Consumers can also visit the Bumble Bee website at https://www.bumblebee.com/smokedclamrecall/.
