Seafood Recall Could Impact Italian-American Christmas Tradition

If you're from an Italian-American family, you may want to pay attention to this latest food recall as it could potentially impact a celebrated annual Christmas tradition this year.

ABC6 News reports the Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall warning for oysters in 15 U.S. states due to potential norovirus contamination.

The recall follows an outbreak stemming from an event in Los Angeles that left at least 80 people sick after consuming contaminated raw oysters.

The oysters being recalled include Fanny Bay Select, Fanny Bay XS, Buckley Bay and Royal Miyagi oysters from Pacific Northwest Shellfish Co., with a packing date of Nov. 25 or later.

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On Dec. 18, the FDA issued a warning to "restaurants, retailers and consumers not to sell or eat the oysters in question due to potential norovirus contamination," ABC6 News reports.

The contamination is believed to have originated in British Columbia, Canada.

The recall was issued to the following states: New Jersey, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky and Nevada.

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Norovirus, commonly referred to as the "stomach flu," is very contagious and can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Meanwhile, a second recall linked to a norovirus outbreak includes oysters as well as Manila clams harvested by Rudy's Shellfish.

The potentially contaminated oysters and clams were harvested in the state of Washington and distributed to restaurants and retailers in seven states: California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, New York, Michigan and Washington.

Unfortunately, these December 2024 oyster and clam recalls could possibly impact a beloved seafood-centered Italian-American Christmas tradition called the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

What Is the Feast of the Seven Fishes?

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, or Festa dei Sette Pesci, is a popular annual Italian-American tradition in which a large dinner of seven seafood courses is served on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24).

Some traditional dishes typically served during the feast include calamari, baked clams, oyster shooters, seafood salad, fried smelts, fried shrimp, cod, steamed crabs and lobster, among many others.

Seven dishes are served to commemorate a variety of symbolic meanings for the number seven in the Catholic church, including the seven sacraments and the seven days of creation.

The feast originated from a similar holiday tradition in Southern Italy, where it is known as La Vigilia (The Vigil) and celebrates waiting for the midnight birth of baby Jesus while abstaining from meat.