Chicken of the Sea Recalls Tuna Cans

Chicken of the Sea tuna producers Thursday voluntarily recalled all tuna in 6 1/8-ounce cans sold in shrink-wrapped packs to Costco wholesale stores in California and eight other western states because some cans were damaged.

Van Camp Seafood Co. recalled shrink-wrapped four-, six- and eight-can packs of tuna it supplied to Costco stores in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, Nevada, Hawaii and Utah, as well as California.

Damage may have occurred at an independent contractor in Los Angeles where cans were transferred to larger cases and then put in shrink wrap for sale at larger grocery stores, said Dan Sullivan, Van Camp senior vice president of production operations.

Slits or punctures in the cans could allow bacteria to grow, said Dean Owen, a Washington state Health Department spokesman. Damaged cans have been found at Costco stores in Washington, Owen said.

Consumers who purchased the tuna before today should return the cans to Costco for a refund or replacement, Van Camp said.