New Zealand Food Safety has advised the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered from the Eastern Bay of Plenty region due to the presence of paralytic shellfish toxins.
New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said that routine tests on mussels from Te Kaha have shown levels of paralytic toxins over the safe limit.
The warning extends from Opape to Matakaoa Point, near Hicks Bay. 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.
Cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin, so shellfish from this area should not be eaten.
Symptoms of 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 cooking.
Kina and finfish are not affected by this public health warning, but New Zealand Food Safety advised 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 the fish from an area where a public health warning has been issued, phone Healthline for advice or seek medical attention immediately. They must also contact the nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case they 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, is subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by New Zealand Food Safety to ensure they are safe to eat.
