More than 5,000 pounds of frozen fish products have been recalled across eight states in the Midwest. The Class I recall involves breaded Swai fish products sold under the Al Kabeer brand. Federal inspectors said the products were imported from the United Arab Emirates, which is not eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States. The affected products reached consumers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Some packages also lack a USDA mark of inspection and an establishment number.
Consumers who have the recalled products are being told not to eat them and to discard them or return them.
Why The Frozen Fish Products Were Recalled
The recall was announced on August 7, 2026, by Shan Distribution Network, Inc., a company based in Carol Stream, Illinois, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The federal agency identified approximately 5,084 pounds of frozen Siluriformes products subject to the recall. Siluriformes is the biological order that includes catfish and related fish species.
The products covered by the action are made with Swai, a white-meat catfish commonly associated with Southeast Asia. The issue identified by inspectors is tied to the country of origin and eligibility for import into the United States, rather than a specific contaminant identified in the recall notice. The products were produced in the United Arab Emirates, a country that FSIS says is not eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States.
That status means the products entered the U.S. market without meeting the federal eligibility requirements governing imported Siluriformes products.
The absence of a USDA mark of inspection or establishment number adds another identifying feature consumers can use when checking packages.
FSIS classified the action as Recall 014-2026 and designated it Class I, the agency’s highest recall classification.
A Class I designation is used when there is a reasonable probability that consuming a product could cause serious adverse health consequences or death, even though the classification itself does not mean that every recalled product is contaminated or that illness will occur.
A high-alert recall was issued for multiple frozen fish products sold in eight states. https://t.co/nfH5btcjFg
— FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) August 13, 2026
Which Al Kabeer Fish Products Are Affected
The recalled products are frozen, breaded fish items sold under the Al Kabeer name, and consumers should check both the product description and package size.
One affected item is a 13.75-ounce box labeled Al Kabeer Spicy “Zing Fish Fillets Breaded Partially Cooked Swai Fish Fillets.” Another is a 10.58-ounce box labeled Al Kabeer “Fish Sticks Breaded Swai Fish.” The third product is sold in a 330-gram box labeled Al Kabeer “Breaded Fish Fillets.” The products are frozen and include breaded fish fillets or fish sticks made from Swai.
FSIS said the affected packages do not bear an establishment number or a USDA mark of inspection.
Those details can help shoppers distinguish the recalled products from other frozen fish items that may carry the same brand or similar packaging.
The recall applies to products distributed in eight states, covering a large portion of the Midwest. Those states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Because frozen products can remain in household freezers for extended periods, consumers should check stored packages rather than relying only on when the fish was purchased.
What FSIS Says Consumers Should Do
The Food Safety and Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture agency responsible for overseeing the safety of meat, poultry and processed egg products as well as imported Siluriformes products, issued the recall after identifying the eligibility problem.
FSIS advised consumers who purchased the affected fish not to eat it.
Instead, the agency recommends that consumers throw the products away or return them to the place of purchase.
That advice applies even if the package has remained frozen and appears normal.
Foodborne hazards and regulatory violations cannot always be identified by looking at a product, smelling it or checking its appearance.
Consumers who find a recalled package should avoid preparing or serving it to family members or pets.
If the product has already been removed from its packaging, consumers should use caution when deciding whether it may correspond to one of the recalled items.
The safest approach is to avoid eating the product when its identity cannot be confirmed.
The recall also gives shoppers in the eight affected states a reason to check frozen-food storage areas, including freezers where products may have been purchased weeks or months earlier.
Consumers seeking additional information can consult the FSIS recall database and the agency’s public recall notices for the latest federal guidance.
