It began with an unsettling example of bad timing: earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times held an event to celebrate the city’s best restaurants. It was intended to showcase culinary excellence; unfortunately, what several attendees might remember more is the 80 cases of food poisoning that developed in the wake of the event.
As NBC News reported in the aftermath, authorities are now investigating the scope of a norovirus outbreak believed to be the cause of the aforementioned food poisoning.
That investigation and its aftereffects aren’t just affecting seafood lovers in and around southern California. As NJ.com’s Chris Sheldon reports, recalls linked to the norovirus outbreak have led to a recall in oysters with a nationwide reach. On December 18, the Food and Drug Administration issued a wide-ranging advisory affecting oysters farmed from a particular region of British Columbia.
The oysters in question are sold under the names Fanny Bay, Buckley Bay and Royal Miyagi. The FDA believes that oysters meeting that description were shipped to at least 14 states and the District of Columbia. The agency points to a recall issued by the seafood distributor S&M Shellfish Co., which cites the norovirus outbreak.
If You’re Not Grilling Your Oysters, You’re Missing Out
Try this recipe, featuring chorizo and ramps, from Crown Jewel in MaineAccording to the FDA, norovirus-infected oysters can lead to illness, as well as “potentially severe illness in people with compromised immune systems.” As the U.K.’s Food Standards Agency pointed out last year, oysters are an especially effective way to transmit norovirus due to them often being consumed raw.
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