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Botulism Alert: “Golden Dragon” Fish
Recalled Date
Published: Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 Source of Article: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/4587 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just
announced the recall of “Golden Dragon Fish brand Frozen Cooked Mackerel
Fish” because the fish product was found to be uneviscerated
prior to processing. This means that there is an increased risk for
contamination with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause Botulism, a serious
and potentially fatal food-borne illness. Uneviscerated fish are
those fish who were not disemboweled and whose internal organs remain intact
within the fish. The sale of uneviscerated
fish is prohibited under New York State Agriculture and Markets regulations
because Clostridium Botulinum spores are more
likely to be concentrated in the viscera—the internal organs—than any other
portion of the fish. Also, such uneviscerated
fish has been linked to prior outbreaks of botulism poisoning. The recalled Golden Dragon Fish
brand Frozen Cooked Mackerel Fish is packaged in uncoded
250G plastic bags and baskets and is a product of Vietnam. “Golden
Dragon Fish brand Frozen Cooked Mackerel Fish” was sold in Although no illnesses have been reported, to
date, in connection with the recalled Golden Dragon Fish brand Frozen Cooked
Mackerel Fish, the FDA is warning consumers in possession of this recalled
product to not to eat it, and return it to the place of purchase.
Consumers with questions may contact K-Fat, Inc. at (718) 381-0306. Botulism is a very serious, sometimes deadly
infection. Of very significant importance, the botulism contamination
cannot be removed by freezing or cooking tainted foods. Botulism
symptoms can initiate at any time from six hours to 10 days after eating
contaminated food, says the FDA, and can include double or blurred vision,
drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and
muscle weakness that starts at the shoulders and moves progressively down the
body. Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing
muscles, which can lead to death without treatment and respiratory
ventilation in about eight percent of cases. If not treated properly,
botulism can paralyze breathing muscles, and victims can spend months on
hospital ventilators until the botulism toxin is out of their system. Just last month, the FDA issued another warning
to consumers and retailers regarding the risk of botulism from Ungutted, Salt-Cured Alewives—also known as Gaspereaux—Fish, which may have been sold in Florida and
originated from Michel & Charles LeBlanc Fisheries Ltd., CAP-PELÈ, New
Brunswick, Canada. In that recall case, the FDA noted that any ungutted fish that is over five inches in length and is
salt-cured, dried, or smoked, such as the ungutted,
salt-cured alewives/gaspereaux fish, is considered
adulterated because it could contain the very dangerous and deadly C. botulinum toxin. |
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