"Seafood Distributed in Seoul City Safe from Shellfish Toxins"

Seoul Institute of Health and Environment Conducts 498 Shellfish Toxin Tests from March to June Including Shellfish and Cyst-Forming Species
11 Cases of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins Detected Within Standards, No Detection of Diarrhetic or Amnesic Shellfish Toxins

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Institute of Health and Environment Research announced on the 27th that it conducted intensive safety inspections for shellfish toxins in shellfish and tunicates once or twice a week from March to June to proactively prevent food poisoning caused by shellfish toxin contamination in seafood distributed within Seoul, and all samples were confirmed to be safe.

The institute tested 498 samples of shellfish and tunicates such as Manila clams, mussels, and sea squirts sold at Garak Agricultural and Marine Products Market, Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, and Gangseo Market. Paralytic shellfish toxins were detected in 11 cases (detection rate 5.3%) including mussels, but all were within the standard limits. Diarrhetic shellfish toxins and amnesic shellfish toxins were not detected at all.

The items with detected paralytic shellfish toxins included 4 cases of mussels, 4 cases of scallops, 2 cases of Manila clams, and 1 case of surf clams, with detected amounts ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 mg/kg, which is within the standard limit of 0.8 mg/kg. Shellfish toxins are toxins accumulated in shellfish that feed on toxic plankton, and when humans consume seafood contaminated with shellfish toxins, they can cause food poisoning such as paralytic shellfish poisoning and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning, which mainly occurs in Korea, begins to appear from March mainly along the southern coast, reaching its peak when seawater temperatures are between 15 and 17℃, and disappears around mid-June when the temperature rises above 18℃ due to the natural extinction of plankton.

The government provides related information such as the occurrence status of shellfish toxins through Food Safety Korea and the National Institute of Fisheries Science's shellfish toxin bulletins so that consumers can purchase safe seafood.

Shin Yong-seung, director of the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment Research, said, “The institute will continuously respond proactively to factors threatening citizens' dietary safety, such as food poisoning caused by seafood, to keep citizens' dining tables safe,” and added, “We will also conduct Vibrio bacteria monitoring on raw edible fish and shellfish in July and August to strengthen seafood safety management during the summer.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.