Halibut fillets sourced from Sealaska company pulled from Trader Joe’s

The 10-ounce frozen breaded frozen filets retail for around $8.99 and are supplied by Orca Bay Foods, a subsidiary of Sealaska Corporation. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

A labeling mistake has led the Food and Drug Administration to order the recall of more than two tons of packaged halibut fillets produced by a subsidiary of Sealaska, the Juneau-based Alaska Native regional corporation.

The agency initiated the recall Friday after it was discovered that the breaded filets, advertised as gluten-free, contain wheat and milk but did not reveal the presence of the potential allergens. No illnesses have been reported.

The 10-ounce frozen filets were sold in Trader Joe’s stores in 19 states but not in Alaska. Some 356 cases have been recalled, with an estimated retail value of around $64,000.

The fish was supplied and packaged by Orca Bay Foods. Since 2017 the Seattle area-based processor has been wholly owned by Sealaska, whose Alaska Native shareholders live in Southeast Alaska and the greater Pacific Northwest.

A Sealaska corporate spokesperson says Orca Bay is reviewing the root cause of the incident.

The breaded halibut was branded Trader Joe’s and is part of a seafood line supplied by Orca Bay and stocked by the grocery giant in the Midwest and Northeast.

Messages left with Trader Joe’s weren’t returned on Tuesday.

 

Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska

Jacob Resneck is CoastAlaska's regional news director based in Juneau. CoastAlaska is our partner in Southeast Alaska. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

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