The snails carry a potentially deadly neurotoxin
==============================================================
China's health ministry on Friday banned the sale, purchase and processing of the sea snail Nassariidae — commonly known as nassa mud snails or dog whelks — after eight people were recently poisoned including one death in the city of Wenzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province.
The small snail is common around the shores of China's coastal provinces such as Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. Its neurotoxin can cause dizziness, vomiting and numbness to the mouth and lips within a few minutes to four hours when ingested by humans. Since there is no antidote to the poison, the ministry has alerted all departments responsible for food production and distribution.
In the Jingshen seafood market in Beijing, a vendor said his business has been affected by the poisoning cases since the snail looks similar to another type of snail usually sold to restaurants and hotels for 20 yuan (US$3) each.
Beijing has banned the sale and consumption of the snail since July 2004 and encouraged members of the public to report any violations. Cases of food poisoning and even deaths caused by eating the snail have continued to be reported however. Between 2005 and 2007, three people died and over 78 were poisoned in the southeast province of Fujian. This year, a total of 21 cases of Nassariidae poisoning have been reported in Wenzhou.
The ministry of health urged the public to avoid eating seafood that is not fully cooked and to go straight to hospital if they have symptoms of food poisoning
No comments:
Post a Comment