New Zealand Food Safety has advised the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered in the Western Firth of Thames region due to paralytic shellfish toxins.
Routine tests on shellfish from Waimangu Point have shown levels of paralytic shellfish toxins over the safe limit.
The warning extends from the mouth of the Waitakaruru River up to Pakatoa Island and across to the mid-point of the Firth.
"Please do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick. It’s also important to know that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin,” said New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
"Affected shellfish include bivalve shellfish such as mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles and scallops, as well as pūpū (cat’s eyes) and Cook’s turban. Kina is still safe to eat.”
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning usually appear within ten minutes to three hours of eating and may include:
- numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, hands, and feet
- difficulty swallowing or breathing
- dizziness and headache
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhoea
- paralysis and respiratory failure and, in severe cases, death.
Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.
Finfish are not affected by this public health warning, but we advise gutting the fish and discarding the liver before cooking.
New Zealand Food Safety has had no notifications of associated illness.
If anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued. People are also advised to contact your nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.
"New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation.”
Commercially harvested shellfish, sold in shops and supermarkets or exported, are subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by New Zealand Food Safety to ensure they are safe to eat.
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