Nearly 333 pounds of Buckhead tuna were pulled from five states after tests flagged a toxin that can trigger fast, nasty food poisoning.
Story Snapshot
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified the tuna recall as Class II on Sept. 16, 2026.
- The recalled lot totals 332.9 pounds distributed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
- New Jersey health officials alerted the company after two samples showed elevated scombrotoxin, also called histamine.
- No illnesses were reported in coverage at the time of the classification.
What triggered the recall and where the tuna went
Buckhead Meat Company initiated a voluntary recall after the New Jersey Department of Health told the firm that two tuna samples showed elevated scombrotoxin levels.
Those findings set off a pullback of 332.9 pounds sold into five states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
The Food and Drug Administration later classified the event as a Class II recall, which means the product may cause temporary or medically reversible health issues if eaten. The recall remained active as of that classification date.
Nearly 333 pounds of Buckhead tuna recalled across 5 states over elevated scombrotoxin levels https://t.co/m9DpiI9AtZ
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) September 27, 2026
Retail and food service buyers saw the product as Buckhead tuna with product number 0004255, packed in refrigerated Styrofoam containers. Case sizes included 10-pound, 12-pound, 15-pound, and assorted 3-to-5-pound packs, according to summaries of the recall.
This detail helps distributors trace inventory quickly and pull the specific lot without wasting safe product on the shelf. Officials did not link the recall to any confirmed consumer illness reports in the coverage available.
How scombrotoxin makes good fish turn risky
Scombrotoxin illness, also called scombroid, comes from histamine that forms when fish like tuna warm up too long before chilling. The fish can look and smell normal.
Yet the toxin can still cause red, hot skin, a pounding headache, tingling, and sometimes vomiting within minutes to hours of eating.
The Food and Drug Administration sets a defect action level at 50 parts per million to mark decomposition and an action level at 500 parts per million where health risk rises. Quick icing after catch is the first guardrail.
Unlike germs that grow inside us, histamine in spoiled fish does not die when you cook it. Heat will not fix it. That is why prevention matters far more than recipes or doneness. Cold chain control from boat to buyer keeps histamine in check.
When that chain breaks, even for a short time, risk can jump. This is also why regulators treat these recalls as product-specific handling lapses rather than a broad seafood safety collapse.
Why the Class II label matters for kitchens and diners
The Class II tag tells restaurants, retailers, and home cooks to take the recall seriously but not panic. It signals likely short-term or reversible symptoms, not the severe or life-threatening risks that define Class I recalls. Most tuna histamine recalls land in this middle tier.
A federal review counted 54 histamine-related tuna recalls from 2002 to 2021, with 53 labeled Class II and only one Class III. That pattern shows a known risk with stable rules, not a rare surprise.
🚨 TUNA RECALL: Nearly 333 pounds of Buckhead tuna distributed in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are being recalled after testing found elevated levels of scombrotoxin, which can cause food poisoning.
The FDA has classified the recall as Class II.…
— MDBayNews (@MDBayNews) September 27, 2026
For customers, the playbook is simple. Check with your store, fishmonger, or restaurant if you bought or served Buckhead tuna in those five states during the window noted in coverage. Ask about product number 0004255 and the case sizes listed. If it matches, do not serve it.
Return it or discard it. If you ate tuna and felt flushing, hives, or a racing heartbeat soon after, call your doctor. Most cases pass quickly, but medical advice is wise for heart or breathing symptoms.
What this says about food safety and common sense
Regulators did what they should here: act on state lab data, focus on a narrow lot, and keep the public informed with a clear risk level.
Fix the exact problem, not the whole industry. Hold firms to basic standards that any honest operator can meet. Keep the cold chain tight, document it, and recall fast when tests say so. Consumers do their part by paying attention to lot details, not rumors or vague fear.
Sources:
yahoo.com, patch.com, ground.news
