Food Safety & Health

Japanese television news shows have recently featured several segments about the parasitic nematode Anisakis simplex, which can be transmitted to people when they eat raw fish that has not been previously frozen to below 20 degrees Celsius. 

The publicity about the parasite, which causes violent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting in those who consume it, has depressed sashimi sales throughout Japan. The wholesale prices of a few species, s… Read More

High levels of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) have temporarily left some of Alaska’s shellfish and oyster farmers out of commission.

Although the toxin has been previously spotted in areas such as Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound and Kodiak, the last couple of years have seen PSP and its affects travel to troubling new locales, Kimberly Stryker, program manager for Alaska's Food Safety and Sanitation Program, told Alaska Dispat… Read More

A fish smoking company based in Mamaroneck, New York, U.S.A., has been ordered to cease sales of its products by a federal judge after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found its processing facility contaminated with the bacteria that causes listeriosis.

The Smokehouse of New York, LLC, its president and owner, Panagiota Soublis, and Brett H. Portier, its director of operations, were issued a consent decree of permanent injunction by Jo… Read More

A Scottish start-up that is using langoustine shells to form an anti-microbial food packaging material has won a major business competition in the United Kingdom.

Motherwell, Scotland based-CuanTec Ltd. was awarded first prize and GBP 150,000 (USD 192,000, EUR 170,000) at the Scottish EDGE Round 10 competition for science, technology and engineering-focused businesses. The ceremony took place on 22 June in Edinburgh and awards businesses with &ld… Read More

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Slade Gorton has announced a recall for three of its tilapia products because they may contain undeclared milk. 

People with allergies or severe sensitivity to milk “run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products,” the company said in a press release.

The products are:

• Gourmet Bay Toasted Crumb Tilapia, product code 7396701
• Gourmet Bay Honey Mustar
… Read More

Two United States government agencies are warning consumers about hepatitis A found in certain frozen tuna products.

The Hawaii Department of Health notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on 1 May that a frozen ahi tuna cube sample from PT Deho Canning Co., imported by Hilo Fish Company in Hilo, Hawaii, tested positive for hepatitis A. 

Then, in mid-May, Hilo Fish began recalling additional frozen tuna steaks and frozen yellowfin tun… Read More

Two sushi restaurants in Washington state must stop mislabeling fish used in their sushi and pay a combined USD 5,500 (EUR 4,916) fine.

Sushi Tokyo in Seattle and Oto Sushi in Redmond signed an agreement with the Washington Attorney General’s office after an investigation found that they mislabeled tuna and snapper between March and August, 2016.

“Consumers deserve to know the truth about what they are buying,” said Washington … Read More

Those who deal in shrimp on a regular basis are probably familiar with melanosis. The unsightly black spots that can appear on the bodies of harvested, raw shrimp is not spoilage, but rather is caused by a naturally occurring enzyme. While shrimp with melanosis are harmless to eat, they are a definite turn-off for customers. 

The industry mainly uses one of two treatments to control melanosis: sodium metabisulfite powder and 4-hexylresorcina… Read More

Congressional Seafood Company, based in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A., has hired Matt Berrie as director of food safety at the company’s new plant in Jessup, Maryland.

Previously, Berrie was HACCP and quality control manager for ProFish, Ltd., of Washington D.C., and quality control manager for Seattle Fish Co. of Denver, Colorado.

In his new role, Berrie will oversee all of the company’s safety and quality control efforts, which incl… Read More

Seattle, Washington, USA-based processor Trident Seafoods has issued a voluntary recall of certain cod products because they may contain small pieces of plastic.

“The source of the white plastic has been identified as inspection tags used by an ingredient supplier,” the supplier said in a statement. “Trident Seafoods takes food safety very seriously and is investigating this situation thoroughly.”

The recall affects select… Read More