FDA issues yellowfin tuna recall, company refuses to recall said tuna
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall is concerning enough. When is it an even bigger deal than normal? When the company that’s at the very heart of the recall refuses to recall the product. That’s the case right now with yellowfin tuna from a Vietnamese company called Truong Phu Xanh Co. Ltd.
When fish begins to spoil and its histamine levels increase, scombrotoxin fish poisoning occurs. As Food Safety News explains, “Initial signs can mimic an allergic response…” Symptoms of scombrotoxin fish poisoning include facial flushing, sweating, burning-peppery taste sensations about the mouth and throat, dizziness, nausea and headache. Severe reactions can result in blurred vision, respiratory stress, and a swollen tongue.
Since early August of this year, nearly 50 people have been sickened by scombrotoxin fish poisoning. These illnesses are what has led to the recall of yellowfin tuna from Truong Phu Xanh Co. Ltd. In spite of the FDA’s “voluntary” recall efforts, the Vietnamese based company isn’t cooperating, so the FDA is now blocking all incoming shipments of fish from Truong Phu Xanh.
Neither cooking or freezing your fish will rid it of the increased histamine levels, so all 2019 produced Truong Phu Xanh tuna should be thrown out. According to the FDA, the fact that the negative health effects from scombrotoxin fish poisoning are temporary and reversible, the recall has not been made “mandatory”. SInce the Vietnamese company isn’t cooperating, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends consumers ask where the tuna they’re consuming came from.
For Food Safety News’s full story, click here: https://bit.ly/2KP043X