美國食品藥物管理局向消費者提出警告,不要購買或食用標示為安康魚(monkfish)的進口魚,因為這種魚事實上是含有致命河魨毒素的河豚(puffer fish)。
管理局表示,食用含有該種致命毒素的河豚肉會引發嚴重的身體不適,甚至死亡,而一般的安康魚並不含河魨毒素。
在一般食物烹調或貯藏過程中,例如烹煮或冷藏,河魨毒素不會被破壞。
上週在芝加哥有2位民眾食用自行烹煮的魚湯後,出現身體不適症狀,其中一位更因症狀嚴重而住院治療,食品藥物管理局遂在24日向民眾發出警告。食品藥物管理局分析他們所食用的魚肉後,證實魚肉中的確含有危及生命安全的河魨毒素。
食用含有河魨毒素的魚肉30分鐘到幾小時內就會出現中毒的最初症狀,首先是嘴唇和舌痛感覺疼痛,接著臉部與四肢會開始疼痛並麻痺,後續症狀還有頭痛、身體失去平衡、流口水、噁心、嘔吐、腹瀉和腹痛。
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to buy or eat imported fish labeled as monkfish, which actually may be puffer fish, containing a deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin.
Eating puffer fish that contain this potent toxin can result in serious illness or death, the agency said. Monkfish do not contain tetrodotoxin.
Tetrodotoxin is not destroyed by common food preparation or storage, such as cooking or freezing.
The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, issued the warning on Thursday after two people in the Chicago area became ill after consuming homemade soup containing the fish. One was hospitalized due to severe illness.
The FDA's analysis of the fish they ate confirmed the presence of potentially life threatening levels of tetrodotoxin.
Initial symptoms of tetrodotoxin poisoning occur 30 minutes to several hours after food containing the toxin is consumed. First there is tingling of the lips and tongue, tingling of the face and extremities and numbness follow. Later symptoms may include headache, balance problems, excessive salivation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
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