FDA recalls oysters due to potential norovirus contamination ahead of Memorial Day

The Food and Drug Administration has advised restaurants and retailers against selling or serving certain oysters imported from the Republic of Korea due to their potential contamination with norovirus.

A recall of the particular shellfish was issued on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend.

The warning posted to the FDA website alerts restaurants and food retailers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Washington not to sell or serve certain frozen, raw and half-shell oysters.

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They should safely dispose of the potentially contaminated oysters or contact their distributor to arrange for destruction.

Individual consumers in those states who have also purchased these oysters are advised to do the same.

The notice further warns consumers that food containing norovirus may “look, smell, and taste normal.” However, consuming these potentially hazardous products “can cause illness, and potentially severe illness in people with compromised immune systems,” according to the FDA.

Norovirus is a highly contagious stomach bug with common symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.

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People who experience symptoms should contact their healthcare provider and report their symptoms to their local health department.

Symptoms typically develop within 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus, and most people with norovirus illness get better within one to three days, according to the FDA.

The advisory goes on to list a few steps employees should follow to prevent cross-contamination.

This latest recall of oysters due to the potential risk of norovirus contamination comes months after the FDA issued a similar recall four times within a month for the same reason in February.

In December 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the “number of reported norovirus outbreaks have exceeded the numbers that we’ve seen recently and in the years before the pandemic.”