New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) has advised the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered from an area of the Bay of Plenty due to paralytic toxins.
"Routine tests on tuatua from Waihi Beach have shown levels of paralytic toxins more than double the safe limit," said NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
The warning has been extended from the southern end of Pauanui Beach to the entrance of Tauranga Harbour by Mount Maunganui.
"Please do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick.
Affected shellfish include bivalve such as mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles and scallops, pūpū (cat’s eyes) and Cook’s turban. Kina is still safe to eat.
"It’s also important to know that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin."
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning usually appear within ten minutes to three hours of eating. These 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 before cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during cooking.
This public health warning does not affect Finfish, but it has been advised to gut the fish and discard the liver before cooking.
NZFS has had no notifications of associated illness.
If anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area with a public health warning, phone Healthline or seek medical attention immediately. NZFS also advised contacting the nearest public health unit and keeping any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.
"NZFS 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 NZFS to ensure they are safe to eat.
