USDA Recalls Frozen Swai Fish Fillets and Sticks Imported from the UAE — What Miami Food Businesses Should Know

A new USDA recall this week is a reminder that food safety isn't just about contamination — it's also about where your product legally comes from.

What FSIS announced

On August 7, 2026, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Shan Distribution Network, Inc., based in Carol Stream, Illinois, is recalling approximately 5,084 pounds of frozen Siluriformes breaded Swai fish fillet and stick products. The reason isn't contamination — it's that the products were produced in the United Arab Emirates, a country that is not currently eligible to export Siluriformes fish (which includes catfish and swai) to the United States. The recalled products were made in December 2025 and carry use-before dates in June 2027. FSIS says the problem was discovered during routine inspection activity, and the products do not bear an establishment number or a USDA mark of inspection. No illnesses or injuries have been reported.

Products subject to recall

• 13.75-oz. boxes of Al Kabeer spicy "Zing Fish Fillets Breaded Partially Cooked Swai Fish Fillets"

• 10.58-oz. boxes of Al Kabeer "Fish Sticks Breaded Swai Fish"

• 330-g boxes of Al Kabeer "Breaded Fish Fillets"

These products were shipped to retail locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Why an "ineligible country" recall matters

This recall isn't about a pathogen — it's about import eligibility. Under FSIS rules, Siluriformes species (catfish, swai, basa, and similar fish) can only enter the U.S. from countries and establishments that FSIS has specifically certified as eligible, precisely so the agency can verify the inspection standards behind the product. When a product like this shows up without an establishment number or inspection mark, it means it bypassed that entire verification chain — FSIS has no assurance about how it was produced, handled, or inspected.

What this means for Miami food businesses

None of the retail locations named in this recall are in Florida, but that doesn't make it irrelevant here. Miami is one of the busiest seafood import corridors in the country, and swai/catfish products show up on menus at seafood restaurants, Asian and Latin markets, and grocery stores across Miami-Dade. This recall is a good prompt to:

• Ask your seafood suppliers directly whether any swai, catfish, or other Siluriformes products they carry are imported, and from which country and establishment.

• Check packaging for a USDA mark of inspection and establishment number on any imported catfish/swai product — its absence is a red flag.

• Keep supplier invoices and country-of-origin documentation on file, especially for imported seafood.

• If you carry Al Kabeer-brand breaded swai products in the sizes above, pull them from sale and inventory immediately, even outside the states named, since product can move between distributors.

How Safe Food Handler Miami can help

For more than 25 years, Safe Food Handler Miami has trained restaurants, markets, food trucks, hotels, and caterers across Miami-Dade on supplier verification, receiving protocols, and the documentation that protects a business when a recall like this happens. Our bilingual (English and Spanish) Food Handler and Food Safety Manager certification programs are Florida-approved and available in person.

Ready to certify or recertify your team? 📞 305-341-3480 | safefoodhandlermiami.com

This summary was prepared by SafeFoodHandler Miami based on reporting from Food Safety News and public information from USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). It is for general educational purposes and is not medical or legal advice.