New Zealand Food Safety has advised the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered from the Bay of Plenty coast, from Maketu Beach to Waihi Beach, due to the presence of toxins.
"Routine tests on pipi from the location have shown levels of paralytic shellfish toxin over the safe limit," said New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
"The warning extends from just north of the Maketu Beach estuary to the northern end of Waihi Beach. Please do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick.”
Affected shellfish include bivalve shellfish such as mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles and scallops, as well as pūpū (cat’s eyes), Cook’s turban.
Cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin, so shellfish from this area should not be eaten.
"We are monitoring a naturally occurring algal bloom in the region, which is spreading. This type of algae produces a dangerous toxin, and when shellfish filter-feed, these toxins can accumulate in their gut and flesh. Generally, the more algae there are in the water, the more toxic the shellfish get."
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 before cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during cooking.
Finfish flesh is 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. There are currently no other alerts in place.
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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