Sainsbury’s has recalled a number of their tuna products due to fears they may cause consumers to become ill. Recalled products include Sainsbury’s and Taste the Difference fresh tuna steaks, fresh diced tuna and fresh tuna from the fish counter. Sainsbury’s have advised the Food Standards Agency that these products may contain high levels of Histamine.
Histamine poisoning - also known as scombroid fish poisoning - is difficult to diagnose and is extremely unpleasant, it can cause itchiness, headaches, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhoea. Histamine is a toxin that mimics an allergic reaction. When a person has an allergic reaction, the body releases histamine, but in the case of fish poisoning, a person consumes histamine rather than releasing it. If they are properly diagnosed, most patients can be treated with antihistamines.
Raw fish can be contaminated with faecal bacteria when gutted and if the fish is stored at temperatures above freezing, the bacteria grow. They produce an enzyme that dissolves the tissues of the fish, resulting in the production of histamine. Cooking tuna until well-done might kill the bacteria and cooking it even more may destroy the enzymes, but histamine is not affected by heat.
Raw tuna used for sushi is less likely to be contaminated because it comes from the best cut of the fish, the filet. The tuna for sushi is usually stored in large pieces and at freezing temperatures and sliced right before serving, making it less susceptible to warming temperatures.
Tuna is not the only fish implicated, there is evidence to show mahi-mahi, bluefish, sardines, mackerel, amberjack and abalone can also cause histamine poisoning. The easiest way to prevent this type of food poisoning is to store the fish at freezing temperatures (32 degrees Fahrenheit, 0 degrees Celsius). Every time the fish is manipulated, either by slicing or grinding and making patties, the temperature of the fish is likely to go up, so keeping the fish cold is key.
Sainsbury’s recalls tuna products - BBC news
Cooked tuna could be hazardous to your health - CNN.com
Other Links:
Scombroid poisoning definition
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