Retailer Albert Heijn defended its smoked salmon supplier Foppen, which was the cause of a salmonella outbreak in 2012 and has now been placed on a red list by the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority (NVWA).

The red listing, revealed by NVMA on Feb. 10, means Foppen faces weekly inspections as well as possible closure, if changes are not made.

“Foppen is currently deliberating with the NVWA because everything was okay at the latest NVWA inspections,” said a spokeswoman for the retailer.

“Our reaction to this commotion is that customers from Albert Heijn can rely on the fact that all of our fish products are safe. Our supplier Foppen is under stringent controls and we have complete faith in the fact that the products that we buy from them are safe,” she told Undercurrent News, in an emailed statement.

The spokeswoman for the Dutch retailer, which is part of Ahold, said the categorization of Foppen as red by NVWA, the only company from 399 surveyed, happened last September. “Food safety has never been at stake,” she said.

According to an article from BNR from September last year, Foppen was placed under increased surveillance from NVMA last April over something to do with mislabeling, which is not further explained in the article.

The article states, however, that in 2012 Foppen was labeling salmon processed in Greece as packed in the Netherlands. This was at the time Foppen had to withdraw its salmon from stores because of salmonella contamination, which resulted in the death of four people and made 1,150 ill. Foppen blamed the Greek plant, at the time.

US retail giant Costco, the other major customer of Foppen, did not respond for request for comment. Foppen also did not respond to several requests for comment from Undercurrent.

According to the Dutch news service NOS, a spokeswoman for De Consumentenbond, the Dutch consumers’ association, said it is “bizarre” Foppen is still in business.

“They are all under control since 2010 and have have received various penalties. These are apparently not enough of a deterrent,” said Joyce Donat of De Consumentenbond. “It’s actually quite bizarre that they are still in the market. And they are also one of the biggest.”

According to seafood sector sources, the Costco business is worth around €25 million to as much as €30m, with the Albert Heijn contract worth around €15m- €20m.

Costco and Albert Heijn have both started talking to other smoked salmon producers in recent months, after Foppen was mentioned in Dutch parliament in September, sources told Undercurrent.