Fugu Recalled From US Stores

[Charles]

[SIZE="3"]FDA Warning that Mislabelled Monkfish Could Be Toxic Puffer Fish[/SIZE]

[floatl][/floatl]Packages of fish imported from China into the United States and labelled as monkfish intended for consumers to eat, could actually be puffer fish containing the deadly toxin tetrodotoxin. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have today warned consumers not to buy or eat the mislabelled fish. Eating the puffer fish could cause serious illness and even death.
The FDA has analysed samples of the puffer fish and confirm that it does contain potentially life-threatening levels of tetrodotoxin.
The product was imported into the US by the California-based Hong Chang Corp, of Santa Fe Springs.
While the FDA allows puffer fish to be imported into the US, it is only under strict terms to minimize the risk of the fish being toxic. These mislabelled puffer fish were not imported under these terms and the FDA is currently chasing all imports from the Chinese supplier.
Two people in Chicago became ill after eating soup made with the fish. One was taken to hospital.
Consumers should neither eat nor handle the fish but throw it away. The tetrodotoxin could be either on the fish skin or in the flesh. Consumers are advised to wash their hands thoroughly if they handle the fish.
Tetrodotoxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing... ...more...

[Taro Toporific]

I wonder what the rest of the story is? Is farmed Chinese fugu so cheap now that it's cheaper than ugly-ass monkfish???
[floatr][/floatr]

[SIZE="1"]FDA Warning that Mislabelled Monkfish Could Be Toxic Puffer Fish[/SIZE]
....While the FDA allows puffer fish to be imported into the US, it is only under strict terms to minimize the risk of the fish being toxic. These mislabelled puffer fish were not imported under these terms and the FDA is currently chasing all imports from the Chinese supplier...more...

[Charles]

I wonder what the rest of the story is? Is farmed Chinese fugu so cheap now that it's cheaper than ugly-ass monkfish???

Yeah, I'd like to hear what really happened. But like the melamine contaminated animal feed, I am sure that investigators can track this all the way back to the source in China, which they will discover is a freshly bulldozed vacant lot.

I searched for more info on the web but it's mostly repetitions of the same FDA press releases. But one story stood out:

An importer recalled 282 22-pound boxes [over THREE TONS] labeled as Chinese monkfish that it distributed to Illinois, California and Hawaii, the FDA said...
..."There is a harsh reality here: When it comes to food, 'Made in China' is now a warning label in the United States," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who earlier this month exacted a promise from FDA commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach and Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong that they would work toward a mutual agreement to improve inspections and the overall safety of food products and drugs traded between the two nations.
When asked Thursday if consumers could trust the safety of food imported from China, von Eschenbach told The AP: "This is one area where we have an ongoing opportunity for continuous improvement and that's what we are going to pursue."
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chairwoman of the House Appropriations' agriculture subcommittee, pledged to hold a hearing to examine Chinese imports.
"This is becoming a day-by-day event. We got monkfish _ poisonous pufferfish _ as just yet another example. And they're investigating toxic toothpaste imported from China. This is truly out of control," said DeLauro, who criticized the administration's food and drug safety requests to the Chinese as nonbinding.

[Charles]

[Charles]

From the Bangkok Post:

[SIZE="3"]Toxic snack[/SIZE]

Nan - More than 140 people were rushed to local hospitals with food poisoning after eating fish balls apparently made from the puffer fish in Ban Luang district of this northern province on Friday. The villagers ate the fish balls in a soup offered at the funeral of Kham Sudsom on Friday evening at a house belonging to Daoloy Mongkol in tambon Ban Fah.
After the funeral, guests started vomiting, their tongues felt numb, they had weak hands and legs and were suffering chest pains. They also experienced shortness of breath. They were taken to Ban Luang district hospital which later referred some of the more seriously-ill patients to Nan provincial hospital. The district hospital has a limited capacity to care for patients and soon many more people who were sick after eating the fish balls turned up for treatment, it was reported.
Pisit Sriprasert, of the Nan provincial health office, said all the patients admitted to local hospitals were guests at the funeral. Ms Daoloy said she also ate the fish balls and came down with food poisoning.
Kamlai Konsoong, who helped prepare the food at the funeral, said the fish balls were bought at the Ban Pong fresh market in Chiang Muan district of neighbouring Phayao. The vendor told her the fish balls were made from the popular pla krai fresh water fish and were bought from a supplier in Bangkok. She said she bought 800 fish balls, samples of which have been sent to the provincial public health office for testing.
Dr Pisit said the patients' symptoms suggested they had consumed puffer fish meat, which contains the potentially deadly poison tetrodotoxin, which attacks nerve cells. The toxin cannot be dissolved by heat. Puffer fish meat is sometimes used illegally to produce fish balls because it is cheaper than most other fish meat.
Niwatchai Sujitchan, the deputy director of Nan provincial hospital, said seven of those hospitalised were in serious condition and required aids to help them breathe. He said they had eaten more than two milligrammes of the toxin, an amount which can be instantly fatal. They are being kept under observation for the next 48 hours.

[Iraira]

From the Bangkok Post:

[SIZE="3"]Toxic snack[/SIZE]

Nan - More than 140 people were rushed to local hospitals with food poisoning after eating fish balls apparently made from the puffer fish in Ban Luang district of this northern province on Friday. The villagers ate the fish balls in a soup offered at the funeral of Kham Sudsom on Friday evening at a house belonging to Daoloy Mongkol in tambon Ban Fah.

Maybe the funeral home was just trying out a new marketing strategy to increase business?