State warns against eating brand of steamed mackarel
The state Agriculture Department is warning consumers against eating a brand of steamed mackarel distributed from a downstate importer.
The product, Steamed Mackarel, distributed by the Gusto Food Inc., in Maspeth, N.Y., was sold in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Ohio and Michigan in uncoded, half-pound plastic bags. The bag indicates the product is from Thailand.
State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said the mackarel was uneviscerated, which goes against state regulations -- uneviscerated fish are more likely to be contaminated with clostridium botulinum spores, which have been linked to botulism poisoning.
Symptoms of botulism, a serious and potentially fatal food-borne illness, include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poorreflexes, difficulty swallowing and respiratory paralysis.
The steamed mackarel was sampled by a state food inspector during a routine inspection; subsequent testing confirmed the product was uneviscerated.
No illnesses have been reported in connection to Gusto Food's steamed mackarel.
