France Recalls Fresh Mackerel Fillets Over Histamine and a Raw Farm Cream Over Listeria monocytogenes

The official portal RappelConso published on October 13, 2026 two voluntary recalls of fresh foods, each for a different type of risk. The first is a fresh mackerel fillet packaged in trays of about 150 grams, sold in a store in southwestern France, with histamine above 200 mg. The second is a raw farm fresh cream, in a 25-centiliter plastic jar, with detection of Listeria monocytogenes, distributed in stores and direct-sale consumer associations in the west of the country.

Histamine is a toxin that forms in dark-fleshed fish such as mackerel, tuna or sardine when the cold chain is broken, because certain bacteria convert the amino acid histidine into histamine. It is not destroyed by cooking or freezing. That is why the legal limit in fresh fish applies to the finished product. The notice describes the symptoms: redness and swelling of the face, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, between minutes and hours after eating; allergic people should avoid the product and seek urgent care if there are symptoms, and the picture usually subsides with antihistamines.

The raw cream case follows the listeriosis pattern. Consumers are asked to stop consuming it and destroy it, and anyone who has fever, headache or muscle pain should consult a doctor and mention the consumption, because incubation can reach eight weeks. Pregnant women, immunocompromised people and older adults are the most exposed. Raw dairy products are a known risk category, because they do not undergo pasteurization that destroys the bacterium, and in a fresh cream, rich in water and fat, Listeria can multiply even under refrigeration.

For artisanal dairy producers, the notice is a reminder that testing of product and of the surfaces of the production room must be frequent, especially when working with raw milk. TAAG's Specio 1.4 kit detects Listeria monocytogenes by real-time PCR with melting curve, validated in foods and on living and inert surfaces, and covers the dairy industry. Raw cream is not listed as a specific matrix, so the association is indirect. Histamine, on the other hand, is a biogenic amine measured by chemical methods, not PCR, so TAAG's catalog does not cover it.