Many, including me, consider salt-water fish to be a delicacy. Lots of folks enjoy spending an afternoon deep-sea fishing or relaxing near the beach and fishing from the surf. However, as the Food and Drug Administration reminds us, spoiled salt-water fish, including tuna, mackerel, mahi mahi, bluefin, and dolphin can be the source of a form of foodborne illness known as scombrotoxin or scombroid poisoning. A person who eats fish that has spoiled and developed these toxins, which are bacteria produced histamines, can become sick very soon after consuming it. Although fresh fish is most often the culprit, canned or dried as well as frozen fish can also cause scombrotoxin food poisoning. Here’s what the FDA says about Scombrotoxin poisoning:
Initial signs suggest an allergic response with facial flushing and sweating, burning-peppery taste sensations about the mouth and throat, dizziness, nausea and headache. These initial symptoms can advance to facial rash, hives, edema, short term diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Severe cases may blur vision, and cause respiratory stress and swelling of the tongue.
So, what’s the battle plan to avoid this foodborne illness? One recommendation is to keep fish on ice until ready to cook. Since the toxin is not destroyed by cooking, the safest thing to do is ensure that it never develops. For additional information visit FDA’s Food Safety links at http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
