Why Crown Prince Is Recalling Its Canned Smoked Baby Clams
The world of seafood is a wide one, which is, of course, good news for those who love everything from shrimp to scallops to mussels. And for fans of clams, the bivalve ranges in size from teeny-tiny to 1.2 meters, per Britannica, meaning there are many ways to enjoy them: in a clam boil with corn, potatoes, and sausage; deep fried and served with tartar sauce and lemon; and tossed with linguine and plenty of garlic.
And if you love clams so much that you like to keep them stocked at all times, you've likely purchased canned smoked clams. A handy addition to quick pastas, as well as clam chowder and other dishes, canned clams will last at top quality for up to five years and remain edible basically forever (via StillTasty). But if you've purchased any canned clams recently, do yourself a favor and check to make sure they're not from the brand Crown Prince, which the FDA reports recently recalled cans of its smoked baby clams in olive oil.
Why the clams were recalled
If you've ever heard of "forever chemicals," then you know that this group of highly persistent chemicals should be avoided. According to CHEM Trust, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAs) are a class of about 9,000 chemicals that don't easily break down in nature. PFAs can potentially cause health problems ranging from reproductive issues to endocrine disruption to kidney cancer. Found in a huge range of food packaging, PFAs enter our bodies through drinking water and the consumption of packaged and to-go foods.
On the heels of a Bumble Bee smoked clam recall for the very same reason, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced seafood brand Crown Prince is recalling three-ounce cans of its smoked baby clams in olive oil. The brand issued the voluntary recall after FDA testing of the product found detectable levels of PFAs. No illnesses have been reported related to the clams' consumption.
The clams were sold across the U.S. and have a UPC of 0 73230 00853 5. Customers should return the clams to their place of purchase for a full refund.