FDA issues oyster and bay clam warning in eight states over paralytic shellfish poisoning risk

The FDA has issued a warning for oysters and bay clams over fears that they may cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Restaurants and food retailers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, Oregon, and Washington that have recently bought oysters and bay clams from growing areas in Netarts Bay, Tillamook Bay, Willapa Bay and Bruceport have been warned by the federal food agency .

The FDA has told restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell the oysters and bay-clams affected by the recall. This is because they may be contaminated with the toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Molluscan shellfish contaminated with natural toxins from the water in which they lived can cause illness. Most of these toxins are produced by naturally occurring marine algae (phytoplankton). Molluscan shellfish consume the algae which causes the toxins to accumulate in the shellfish’s flesh.

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Typically, contamination occurs following blooms of the toxic algal species - however, toxin contamination is possible even when algal concentrations are low in certain instances. One of the recognized natural toxin poisoning syndromes that can occur from consuming contaminated molluscan shellfish is paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning is caused by neurotoxins also referred to as saxitoxins or paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs). Shellfish can keep the toxin for different lengths of time. Some cleanse themselves quickly, while others take time to remove the toxins. This increases the amount of time they pose a human health risk from eating them.

Food containing these toxins may look, smell, and taste normal - and cannot be removed by cooking or freezing. If consumers experience symptoms of illness, they need to contact their healthcare provider and report their symptoms to their local Health Department.

Most people with paralytic shellfish poisoning will begin to develop symptoms within 30 minutes of consuming contaminated seafood. Effects of intoxication can range from tingling of the lips, mouth, and tongue to respiratory paralysis and may include these other symptoms: numbness of arms and legs, “pins and needles” sensation, weakness, loss of muscle coordination, floating feeling, nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, and headache.

Medical treatment consists of providing respiratory support and fluid therapy. For patients surviving 24 hours, with or without respiratory support, the prognosis is considered good, with no lasting side effects. In fatal cases, death is typically due to asphyxiation. Due to the range in severity of illness, people should consult their healthcare provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms that resemble paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell the potentially contaminated shellfish. Restaurants and retailers should dispose of any products by throwing them in the garbage or contacting their distributor for return and destruction.

Restaurants and retailers should also be aware that shellfish can be a source of infection. It is important to control the potential for cross-contamination of food processing equipment and the food processing environment.

To avoid this, the FDA recommends them to follow the below:

• Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
• Retailers, restaurants, and other food service operators who have processed and packaged any potentially contaminated products need to be concerned about cross-contamination of cutting surfaces and utensils through contact with the potentially contaminated products.
• Retailers that have sold bulk product should clean and sanitize the containers used to hold the product.
• Regular frequent cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces and utensils used in food preparation may help to minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.