D&M Smoked Fish Inc., doing business as Haifa Smoked Fish of Jamaica, Queens, New York, recalled all lots of its Cold Smoked Sprats on October 27, 2026, about 560 pounds, because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that makes botulinum toxin. The sprats were sold to retail stores, restaurants, wholesalers and food service customers in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, and FDA says they may have gone further. No illnesses have been reported.
The recall came four days after the company refused one.
On October 23, FDA issued an advisory telling consumers and businesses not to eat, sell or serve any of the sprats. An FDA inspection of the Jamaica plant had found the firm was making cold-smoked sprats without the food safety controls required to keep C. botulinum from growing and producing toxin. FDA recommended that D&M recall all cold smoked sprats on the market. The company declined. On October 27 it reversed course and recalled every lot.
You may not be able to tell whether your sprats are Haifa’s.
The sprats were packed loose in bulk cardboard boxes and shipped refrigerated. FDA says they may have been sold at restaurants and grocery store seafood counters with or without a label, and that they can be kept frozen for up to a year. Shipping boxes photographed by FDA carry Haifa Smoked Fish’s Jamaica, N.Y. address and product labels reading C/Smoked Holland Sprats. If you bought cold smoked sprats from a deli or seafood counter and cannot find out who made them, FDA’s advice is to throw them away. Fish contaminated with botulinum toxin can look, smell and taste normal.
| Product | Packaging | Lots | Amount | Distribution |
| Cold Smoked Sprats (no brand; shipping labels read C/Smoked Holland Sprats) | Loose in bulk cardboard boxes, shipped refrigerated; may have been sold unlabeled; may be frozen up to one year | All lots | About 560 lbs. | Retail stores, restaurants, wholesalers and food service in NJ, NY and PA; possibly other states |
Table: Recalled product, from the Haifa Smoked Fish recall notice and FDA advisory, both updated October 27, 2026, compiled October 30, 2026.
Why cold-smoked whole fish is a botulism risk.
Cold smoking flavors fish at temperatures too low to cook it, and far too low to kill C. botulinum spores. The type E strain most often tied to fish is common in water and sediment and can be carried in a fish’s gut, and sprats are small fish usually smoked whole. What keeps surviving spores from germinating and making toxin is a combination of enough salt in the fish, constant refrigeration and, for some products, freezing. FDA’s seafood HACCP regulation requires processors of smoked fish to build those controls into their process. FDA found Haifa had not.
Haifa has been here before.
In March 2011, D&M recalled Haifa brand Schmaltz Herring and a lot of Cold Smoked Sprats after New York inspectors found the fish were uneviscerated, which the state prohibits because botulinum spores concentrate in the viscera. In 2010, it recalled more than two dozen smoked fish products, cold smoked sprats among them, for possible Listeria monocytogenes. In September 2025, it recalled cold smoked salmon and cold smoked sea bass for Listeria. This time the company did not act until FDA went public.
Botulism is a medical emergency.
Botulism symptoms include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, trouble swallowing, dry mouth, weakness and a paralysis that moves down the body from the face, along with nausea, vomiting and constipation. Symptoms usually begin 12 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food but can start within hours or as late as 10 days. Without intensive care, the paralysis can reach the muscles used to breathe. Treatment is an antitoxin, released through state health departments, and it works best when given early. Anyone with these symptoms after eating smoked fish should call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Three questions people ask.
Are Haifa’s other smoked fish products recalled?
This recall covers cold smoked sprats only, all lots. FDA’s advisory is limited to the sprats.
Will cooking the sprats make them safe?
Do not try it. FDA’s advice is to throw them away. Thorough heating can destroy botulinum toxin, but there is no reliable way to know at home that it has, and a very small amount can kill. Never taste a food to see whether it is safe.
What should restaurants and stores do?
Stop selling and serving the sprats, contact your supplier if you are unsure where your sprats came from, and clean and sanitize any surfaces and containers they touched. Consumers can return the sprats for a full refund. Questions go to the company at 718-523-8899, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Botulism
Botulism is a rare but deadly illness caused by a nerve toxin made by Clostridium botulinum. Foodborne botulism comes from eating food in which the bacteria have grown and made toxin, most often home-canned or fermented foods and improperly processed fish. The toxin blocks the signals between nerves and muscles, causing paralysis that can last weeks or months and may require a ventilator. Even with treatment, recovery can be long, and some patients have lasting fatigue and shortness of breath.
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of foodborne illness outbreaks, including botulism. The attorneys of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of foodborne illness and have recovered over $850 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.
If you or a family member became ill with botulism after consuming food and you are interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark attorneys for a free case evaluation at 1-800-884-9840.
FAQ
What is botulism?
Botulism is an illness caused by a toxin made by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The toxin attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis and death.
What foods cause botulism?
Low-acid, low-oxygen foods that are improperly processed or stored, including home-canned vegetables, fermented foods, and smoked, salted or dried fish.
Is botulism contagious?
No. Foodborne botulism does not spread from person to person.
How is botulism treated?
With an antitoxin, given as early as possible, and supportive care in a hospital. Some patients need a ventilator for weeks.
Can I sue if I got botulism from food?
Yes. If your illness is linked to a contaminated product, you may have a claim against the businesses that made, distributed or sold it. Marler Clark offers a free case evaluation.
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