New Zealand Food Safety has issued a public health warning advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish harvested from the Port Underwood area in Marlborough. The area extends from Rarangi to Rununder Point.
Routine tests on shellfish samples taken from this region have shown levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins above the safe limit of 0.8mg/kg set by New Zealand Food Safety. Anyone eating shellfish from this area is potentially at risk of illness.
Included shellfish are mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina (sea urchin) and all other bivalve shellfish. None of the above should be consumed, and it is essential to note that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin.
Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed before cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during cooking.
Symptoms typically appear between 10 minutes and three hours after ingestion. They may include numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, and extremities (hands and feet), difficulty swallowing or breathing, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, paralysis and respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.
If individuals become ill after eating shellfish from an area with a public health warning, phone Healthline for advice at 0800 61 11 16 or seek medical attention immediately. People are also advised to contact their nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.
Monitoring of toxin levels will continue, and any changes will be communicated accordingly. Commercially harvested shellfish, sold in shops and supermarkets or exported, are subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by MPI to ensure they are safe to eat.
