New Jersey was notified of an illness outbreak cluster of
Hepatitis A virus cases in New York. The illnesses occurred between August 2025
and February 2026 and were associated with consumption of clam ceviche made
from fresh frozen blood clams (also known as black clams, black conch, concha
negra). These clams were illegally imported from Ecuador. No Hepatitis A cases
associated with this product have been identified in New Jersey.
NJDOH has been conducting traceback efforts and
investigations in conjunction with New York shellfish authorities and the U.S. FDA.
The fresh frozen blood clams, labeled as concha negra, were shipped to a New
York dealer from a New Jersey dealer/importer and distributed to numerous wholesale
and retail establishments within New York and New Jersey. They may have been
further distributed. The New Jersey shellfish dealer identified in traceback
efforts has contacted all customers and recalled any product that they
distributed. This ongoing investigation seeks to identify any additional
importers and wholesale distributors of this product.
Note that fresh blood clams (concha negra) are legal to
import from Mexico.
NJDOH asks local/county health departments on routine
inspections to look for La Serranita brand packaged fresh frozen concha negra from Ecuador due to
a potential health risk for consumers. If found, please email recalls@doh.nj.gov with the name and
address of the establishment, the establishment’s supplier invoice(s), and the
quantity of packages found. Packages of fresh frozen concha negra should be
voluntarily destroyed (or returned to the supplier) because they are from an
unapproved source.
A photo of the fresh frozen concha negra label is attached
to this message. The package includes the following text:
·
La Serranita
·
Concha Negra
·
Shell Meat
·
Fresh Frozen
·
Net Weight 16 oz (454 g)
Consumers, restaurants and food retailers should not eat,
sell, or serve La Serranita brand concha negra from Ecuador and should dispose
of potentially contaminated products or contact their point of sale
establishment to arrange for destruction.
On 4/24/26, the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference
posted this notice from New York health authorities at: https://issc.org/notices
For questions, please contact Virginia Wheatley, NJDOH
Shellfish Coordinator, at virginia.wheatley@doh.nj.gov
or 609-913-5160.
This information has been broadcast to: Local Boards of Health; Local Health Agencies;