If you have eaten raw oysters recently in BC, you are going to want to pay attention to this one.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for certain Stellar Bay Shellfish brand oysters harvested from Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island due to norovirus contamination.
There have been reported illnesses linked to the recalled oysters.
Stellar Bay is one of the more well-known oyster suppliers on the BC coast, and their products are commonly found at restaurants and seafood counters across Metro Vancouver and beyond.
The recalled products are Farmed Oyster, Kusshi variety, sold in 5 dozen and 2.5 dozen packages.
The affected batches were harvested on January 28 and January 29, 2026, from harvest area BC 17-20 in Nanoose Bay.
The oysters were distributed primarily in British Columbia but may have also reached other provinces and territories including Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario.
South of the border, the FDA advisory indicates that oysters from the same harvest area were distributed to restaurants and retailers in at least 10 US states, including California, Washington, New York, and Colorado.
Norovirus is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness and spreads easily, especially through raw shellfish that filter large volumes of water.
Symptoms typically show up within 12 to 48 hours and include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, fever, headache, and fatigue.
Most people recover within one to two days, but the illness can be more serious for young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
The CFIA is advising consumers not to eat, serve, sell, or distribute the recalled products.
If you have any of the affected oysters at home, throw them out or return them to the store where you bought them.
If you think you may have gotten sick from eating raw oysters recently, contact your healthcare provider.
This is actually an updated recall, with an earlier CFIA notice covering additional Stellar Bay varieties including Chrome Point and Stellar Bay Gold with harvest dates going back to December 30, 2025.
If you are an oyster lover, the safest move right now is to check where your oysters were sourced before eating them raw.
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