Between January 28 and May 1, 2012, 258 persons from 24 states and the District of Columbia were reported to be infected with Salmonella Bareilly or Nchanga, a strain which emerged later in the investigation. Collaborative investigation by state, local, and federal public health agencies indicated that a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, Nakaochi Scrape from Moon Marine USA Corporation, was linked to the outbreak. Scrape is tuna backmeat that is scraped from the bones of tuna and may be used in sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and similar dishes. Compounding a rapid recall is that the suspected product may have passed through many distribution centers and was not clearly labeled. This recall came during the timeframe when FDA was conducting mock traceback/traceforward exercises on fresh tomatoes and a Kung Pao-style chicken product. If the outcomes from those trials had been available for application to the sushi outbreaks, would tracing the “smoking gun” have been more efficacious? This special session will hear from an epidemiologist, a major tuna supplier, and FDA on its work with CDC and future practices in product tracing.

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