35 tons of catfish products produced in Mississippi recalled

ITTA BENA, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi company is recalling around 35 tons (31.75 metric tons) of catfish products that might have been tainted by a compound that poses a public health concern.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Friday that various fresh and frozen, raw, intact Siluriformes products were produced Feb. 16 at the Heartland Catfish Company. Routine sampling results March 8 found violative levels of the chemical leucomalachite green, a dye used to detect invisible blood stains or as an antifungal drug in the fish industry.

The items were shipped to retail locations in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Texas and Vermont. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions, and the USDA has classified it as a hazard situation with a "remote possibility" of adverse consequences.