Tuna Recall: Botulism Risk Posed by Faulty Easy-Open Lids
Health ConditionsInfectious Diseases
News

Canned Tuna Recalled in 9 States for Botulism Risk

Faulty easy-open lids on cans of Genova tuna could let in dangerous bacteria, the FDA says.
Canned Tuna Recalled in 9 States for Botulism Risk
FDA; Everyday Health
By
Published on January 21, 2026
by

Canned tuna under the Genova brand that was subject to a recall last year may have accidentally ended up on store shelves in nine states, prompting a new recall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week.

It’s the same batch of canned tuna recalled last February because faulty easy-open lids can leak and let in Clostridium botulinum, a bacteria that can cause a potentially fatal type of food poisoning called botulism.

A third-party distributor mistakenly sent two varieties of recalled Genova brand canned tuna to stores:

UPC
Can Code
Best By Date
Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil 5.0 oz 4 Pack
4800073265

S84N D2L

S84N D3L

1/21/2028

1/24/2028

Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil with Sea Salt 5.0 oz
4800013275
S88N D1M
1/17/2028

The recalled tuna was shipped to the following retailers:

  • Meijer locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin
  • Giant Foods locations in Maryland and Virginia
  • Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions locations in California

If you have the recalled tuna, you should not eat it, even if it doesn’t look or smell spoiled, the FDA said.

Throw it away, or return it for a refund.

Botulism Can Be Fatal

Botulism is a medical emergency. This rare but life-threatening type of food poisoning is caused by the toxin C. botulinum. Infection can cause muscle weakness that makes it harder to breathe, and may even lead to death.

Common symptoms of botulism include:

  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Muscle weakness
  • Double vision
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Blurry vision
  • Slurred speech
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty moving the eyes

Foodborne botulism may also cause:

  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Stomach pain
  • Diarrhea
Symptoms of foodborne botulism typically come on within 12 to 36 hours after exposure, but can begin as soon as a few hours later, up to 10 days after the fact.

If you think you have botulism, you should seek medical care immediately.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Tri-Union Seafoods Identifies Additional Quantities of Recalled Genova Tuna at Limited Retailers Due to Inadvertent Distribution of Previously Recalled Product. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. January 19, 2026.
  2. About Botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 18, 2024.
  3. Symptoms of Botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 1, 2024.
  4. Botulism Fact Sheet. New York State Department of Health. December 2025.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network

Emily Kay Votruba

Fact-Checker
Emily Kay Votruba has copy edited and fact-checked for national magazines, websites, and books since 1997, including Self, GQ, Gourmet, Golf Magazine, Outside, Cornell University Press, Penguin Random House, and Harper's Magazine. Her projects have included cookbooks (Padma Lakshmi's Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet), self-help and advice titles (Mika Brzezinski's Know Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You're Worth), memoirs (Larry King's My Remarkable Journey), and science (Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Learn, by Cathy Davidson). She started freelancing for Everyday Health in 2016.
See full bio
Monroe-Hammond-article

Monroe Hammond

Author
Monroe Hammond joined Everyday Health in 2021 and now runs the news desk as an editor. They received a master’s degree from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, as well as a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Emory University in Atlanta.

Hammond has written and edited explainers on a number of health and wellness topics, including racial disparities in HIV treatment, the metabolic benefits of cold exposure, how the flu shot works, and solutions for seasonal dermatology woes. They have also edited pieces on the latest developments from NASA, the health repercussions of climate change, and the cutting edge of quantum physics. Their work has appeared in Popular Science, Insider, Psychology Today, and Health Digest, among other outlets.

Before turning to journalism, Hammond taught English while living in Thailand and Malaysia. They were born and raised in the American South, and currently live in Brooklyn with their spouse, three cats, and too many houseplants to count.
See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network