Category Archives: Ciguatera Poisoning

New Zealand – Krazy Price Mart Ltd frozen camouflage grouper (kawakawa) – Ciguatoxin

Posted on May 27, 2020 by | Leave a comment

MPI

Krazy Price Mart Ltd is recalling a specific batch of its frozen camouflage grouper (kawakawa) due to the presence of ciguatoxin, which may cause ciguatera poisoning if eaten.

 

 

Product identification
Product type Frozen whole fish (gutted)
Name of product Camouflage grouper (kawakawa)
Batch marking The fish is not labelled.
Date marking  No date marks appear on this product.

The product was available for sale between 10 March and 21 May 2020
Package size and description The product is sold as an individual whole fish (gutted) wrapped in clear plastic.
Distribution The product is imported from Fiji.

The product is sold only at Krazy Price Mart Ltd in Christchurch.
Notes This recall does not affect any other Krazy Price Mart products.

The fish was available from a chest freezer at Krazy Price Mart.

Consumer advice

Customers are asked to check when they purchased camouflage grouper (kawakawa) from Krazy Price Mart.

Affected product should not be consumed. There have been reports of associated illness in New Zealand. If you have consumed this product and have any concerns about illness, seek medical advice.

Customers should return the product to the retailer for a full refund.

For more information on ciguatoxin [PDF, 1.3 MB]

Who to contact

If you have questions, contact Krazy Price Mart:

  • Phone: 03 389 8786
  • Address: 431 Tuam Street, Phillipstown, Christchurch.

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Posted in Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, MPI, Uncategorized

Canary Islands – Ciguatera outbreak reported in the Canary Islands

Posted on December 18, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today File:Gambierdiscus toxicus NOAA.png

Health officials with the Government of the Canary Islands have reported a possible outbreak of ciguatera after finding six cases of food poisoning after consuming black medregal (amberjack) in La Victoria de Acentejo, according to a El Dia report (computer translated).

Ciguatera is not unknown in the Canary Island reporting several cases annually and some 20 outbreaks in the past decade.

More than 400 species of fish, including barracuda, black grouper, blackfin snapper, cubera snapper, dog snapper, greater amberjack, hogfish, horse-eye jack, king mackerel, and yellowfin grouper have been implicated in this food borne illness that’s relatively common in several areas of the world.

This toxin is the result of the accumulation of marine algae and the toxins they produce passing up the food chain. These marine algae hang on to dead coral and seaweed. They are then eaten by herbivore fish which are subsequently eaten by predatory reef fish which concentrates the toxin in its tissue. People get this food borne toxin from eating these contaminated larger fish. The reef fishes are more likely to get contaminated during storms and other turbulence.

 

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, Dinoflagellates, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Gambierdiscus, Uncategorized

Research – Marine Toxins: 5 Poisons Under the Sea

Posted on March 15, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Pharmacytimes 

Marine toxins originate from microorganisms native to aquatic ecosystems. These molecules eventually find their way into the human gastrointestinal tract through concentrating and bioaccumulating in species such as mollusks, crustaceans, and various fish. Ingestion of marine toxins can generate foodborne illnesses and a constellation of neurologic and gastrointestinal manifestations accompanied by other symptoms.

Ciguatoxin

Ciguatera illness is caused by ciguatoxins, which are compounds that bioaccumulate in shallow, coastal water-dwelling fish.

Saxitoxin

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a foodborne illness brought on by saxitoxin, a chemical compound produced by cyanobacteria of freshwater and by dinoflagellates of marine water. As with ciguatoxin, saxitoxin reaches the human gastrointestinal tract through concentration in species that are higher up in the food chain.

Brevetoxin

Also a result of toxic algal blooms and mollusk consumption, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) is thought of as a ‘milder’ case of the paralytic shellfish poisoning described above. Its cause is brevetoxin, a group of more than 10 lipid soluble polyether compounds.

Tetrodotoxin

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is perhaps the most well known of the marine toxins. Its notoriety arises from the popularity of pufferfish.

Histamine

A red herring in the recognition of fish food poisoning is scombroid syndrome. This illness is commonly mistaken for fish allergy, but instead results from improper storage and transportation of fish belonging to the Scombroidiae family.

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Brevetoxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, Histamine, Saitoxin, Tetrodotoxin, Uncategorized

Hong Kong – 19 Diners Sick with Cigutera Poisoning

Posted on June 14, 2013 by | Leave a comment

South China Morning Post

Health authorities are launching an investigation into food poisoning case in which 19 people fell ill after eating coral reef fish at a Lamma Island eatery on Saturday.

Fourteen men and five women, aged 23 to 71, had eaten fish at the seafood restaurant, and had fallen ill with symptoms of the potentially lethal ciguatera poisoning three to 19 hours later, the Centre for Health Protection said.

The restaurant in question was the Wai Kee Sea Food Restaurant in Sok Kwu Wan.

Symptoms can include numbness of the mouth and limbs, heart palpitations fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea and flushes. Excessive consumption can also affect the circulatory and nervous systems.

Six of the diners had sought medical help and at least one person was admitted to hospital. All are in now in stable condition, the CHP said.

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Posted in Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, Food Chemistry, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Poisoning, Toxin

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USA – FDA Guidence – Ciguatera Food Posioning

Posted on March 27, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FDAFDA

FDA Announces Draft Guidance for Primary Seafood Processors Who Purchase Reef Fish and Identifies Lionfish as a Potential Risk for Ciguatera Fish Poisoning

March 26, 2013

FDA is announcing the availability of draft guidance recommending that primary seafood processors who purchase reef fish such as grouper, amberjack, snapper, lionfish, king mackerel, and barracuda take steps to minimize consumers’ risk of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) from the fish they distribute. The draft guidance complements FDA’s existing advice on preventing CFP, which is contained in the Fourth Edition of the Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance (2011) (Guide), by identifying two species of lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) as additional reef fish associated with the risk of CFP.

CFP is caused by consuming fish that have eaten toxic marine algae or that have eaten other fish containing the toxins. The toxins accumulate in the flesh of reef dwelling fish, with higher CFP levels predominately found in predatory species, which are then harvested either commercially or by recreational fishermen. Consumers who eat fish that contain ciguatoxin are at risk for contracting CFP.

Primary seafood processors can minimize the risk of CFP by not purchasing fish that are likely to carry ciguatoxins. The Guide recommends that primary seafood processors who purchase fish directly from fishermen obtain information about harvest locations to determine the potential for ciguatoxic fish based on knowledge of the regions where ciguatera occurs. The draft guidance states that primary seafood processors should avoid purchasing fish species associated with causing CFP from established or emerging areas linked with CFP.

After the guidance is finalized, future updates of the Guide will include the two species of lionfish as reef fish for which measures to prevent CFP should be in place.

All interested parties are invited to comment on the draft guidance.

For Additional Information:

Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance, Fourth Edition (2011)

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Posted in Ciguatera Poisoning, FDA, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Poisoning