Botulism Fears Close Fish Processing Plants

Fish processing plants in both Northern and Southern California will be shut down by government authorities over health concerns, including possible outbreaks of botulism.

Toxins that cause botulism and listeriosis have been detected at the Blue Ocean Smokehouse in Half Moon Bay and the Yamaya processing plant in Torrance, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Yamaya has been shut down by the Food and Drug Administration, which is seeking to close the Half Moon Bay facility, according to CIR.

The Torrance plant has agreed to destroy all food materials currently on-site and "correct the conditions" that caused the spread of bacteria there, according to reports.

The situation in Half Moon Bay is more serious, according to federal food inspectors. Employee sanitation practices are so poor that the fresh and smoked fish, "including salmon, cod, halibut, tuna, sturgeon and hot-smoked cream cheese spreads" may be infected the toxin that causes botulism, according to the CIR.

The company ignored warnings from both the FDA and California Department of Public Health, the newspaper reported.