The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued four Listeria alerts for a smoked salmon recall in under two weeks. Between 2nd and 14th October 2026, the FSAI recalled eight smoked salmon products over the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The products were sold under the SuperValu, Centra, Skellig Bay and Wrights of Marino names. Consumers should not eat the implicated batches.
The latest smoked salmon recall, issued on 14 October, covers five SuperValu Signature Tastes and Inspired By Centra products. Several use-by dates run into November, so affected packs may still be in Irish fridges.
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Which Products Are in the Smoked Salmon Recall?
The FSAI has asked retailers to remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point of sale. Check the product name, pack size and use-by date against the lists below.
2 October: Wrights of Marino Smoked Salmon (400g). Batch code: Yellow A38. Use-by date: 06/10/2026. Approval number: IE DN0023 EC.
11 October: SuperValu Smoked Salmon(40g and 150g). Use-by date: 17/10/2026. Approval number: IE DN0012 EU.
12 October: Skellig Bay Smoked Salmon Slices (200g, Aldi). Use-by dates: 04/11/2026 and 06/11/2026. The Good Fish Company is recalling the product, with notices displayed in Aldi stores.
14 October: SuperValu and Inspired By Centra:
- SuperValu Signature Tastes Dingle Gin Infused Smoked Salmon (100g). Use-by date: 31/10/2026.
- SuperValu Signature Tastes Handcut Smoked Salmon Ribbons (80g). Use-by date: 04/11/2026.
- SuperValu Signature Tastes Applewood Smoked Salmon (100g). Use-by date: 31/10/2026.
- SuperValu Signature Tastes Dill and Black Pepper Smoked Salmon (100g). Use-by date: 04/11/2026.
- Inspired By Centra Applewood Smoked Salmon (80g). Use-by date: 31/10/2026.
The FSAI alerts do not state whether the recalls share a common source.
Why Smoked Salmon Carries a Higher Listeria Risk
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium found in soil, water and the wider environment. It can be present on raw fish before processing begins.
Sliced smoked salmon is cold-smoked. The fish is cured and smoked but never cooked, so the process does not kill Listeria. Three factors combine to raise the risk:
- No kill step. Nothing in production destroys the bacterium, and the fish is eaten without cooking.
- Chilled storage. Listeria can grow at fridge temperatures, although growth is slow.
- Long shelf life. Vacuum-packed smoked salmon can stay on sale for weeks, giving bacteria time to multiply.
Thorough cooking kills Listeria. The FSA advises that smoked fish cooked until steaming hot all the way through is safe to eat.
Symptoms of Listeriosis and Who Is at Risk
Listeriosis is rare in Ireland. HPSC data recorded 22 cases in 2024. But the illness can be severe in vulnerable groups.
- Symptoms in healthy people: mild flu-like symptoms, or nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Severe illness: infection can lead to serious complications in vulnerable people.
- Vulnerable groups: pregnant women, infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
- Incubation period: three to 70 days, with an average of three weeks.
The long incubation window matters here. A pack from the Wrights of Marino batch, with a use-by date of 6 October, could cause illness into mid-December.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) advises pregnant women to avoid ready-to-eat smoked fish, including smoked salmon. Listeria can pass to the baby during pregnancy. It can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth or serious illness in the newborn.
What Should You Do If You Bought Recalled Smoked Salmon?
- Do not eat the implicated batches.
- Check the product name, pack size and use-by date against the FSAI smoked salmon recall alerts.
- Contact your GP if you are pregnant or in a vulnerable group and have eaten an affected product.
The HPSC states that early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can reduce the risk of complications in pregnancy.
What the Recalls Mean for Smoked Fish Producers
The smoked salmon recall come three months after stricter EU Listeria rules took effect. From 1 July 2026, Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 changed the limit for ready-to-eat foods that support Listeria growth.
Under the amended rule, these foods must show “not detected in 25g” throughout their shelf life. The exception applies where the producer can demonstrate that levels will stay at or below 100 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) for the full shelf life. Before July 2026, the “not detected in 25g” limit applied until the food left the producer’s control.
Chilled smoked salmon is a typical example of a ready-to-eat food in which Listeria can grow during storage. Producers need evidence that their controls hold from the smokehouse to the use-by date. Our article on the FSAI Listeria recall of six chicken ready meals explains the new rule in more detail.
That evidence comes from three types of Listeria testing:
- Product testing checks finished batches for Listeria monocytogenes.
- Environmental swabbing checks slicers, conveyors, drains and contact surfaces, where post-process contamination starts.
- Shelf-life testing shows how Listeria behaves in a product up to its use-by date.
How Southern Scientific Can Help
A smoked salmon recall pulls stock from shelves and damages consumer trust. Southern Scientific is a leading Irish laboratory for the bacterial analysis of food products.
Our ISO 17025-accredited microbiology laboratory tests food for Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae and other organisms. We offer environmental swab analysis and shelf-life testing. Our guide to microbiological food safety testing explains how each test works.
Regular testing builds the evidence the new EU rules demand. It catches contamination before a batch leaves your site. For smoked fish producers, that means moving from reactive crisis management to proactive protection.
