SEAFOOD TOXINS

Some fish and shellfish can become poisonous.For example ,mussels and clams can become toxic when they eat or filter poisonous types of plankton( microscopic plants and animals) found in water.However ,this and most other marine toxins are not destroyed by cooking.This is why you should never eat shellfish during a "red tide"

 Scombroid Poisoning is common cause of seafood illness.It occurs when fish such as mahi mahi ( dolphinfish) ,tuna ,mackerel,bluefish and amberjack are not properly refrigerated and begin to spoil.However ,not much spoilage is needed to produce scombroid toxin in fish meat.This is another reason why your best protection is to buy seafoods from a reputable dealer. The spoilage process taht produces scombroid toxin happen in fish that have high amounts of the amino histidine in their tissue.If these fish are not refrigerated quickly when they are caught, histidine is change to histamine.This is the same toxin that causes symptoms in an allergy attack.

 

Symptoms occur within minutes to 2 hours of eating the fish and last from 4-6 hours to 1-2days.The first symptoms are very similar to an allergy attack.Symptoms include redness of the face, sweating ,burning feelings in the tongue and mouth,dizziness,nausea and headache.Later symptoms are rashes,hives and diarrhea.Unfortunately, you cannot smell any difference in fish that have scombroid toxin,and the toxin cannot be destroyed by freezing,cooking,smoking,curing or canning.

 

 Ciguatera Poisoning also one of the most common causes of seafood poisoning.The toxin is not produced by the fish but from what the fish eats.This is another toxin that is not destroyed by cooking ,freezing or canning.Symptoms usually occur 4 to 8 hours after eating the fish include weakness and nervous system disorders.Symptoms can last a long time because the toxin persists in body fat.Remember to buy your fish from reputable dealer!

 

PLANT TOXINS

 Plant which are poisonous include water hemlock,fava beans, rhubarb leaves and jimpson weed.Mushrooms used in food establishments must be from an approved source because of the difficulty in judging between safe and unsafe varieties.

OMG! this one is the most infected plant..kah..kah..kah