Be Careful of 'Shellfish Toxin' Poisoning When Consuming Shellfish in Spring

Refrigeration, Freezing, or Heating Does Not Reduce Toxin Levels
Arbitrary Harvesting and Consumption of Shellfish at Seaside in Spring Poses 'Risk'

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] With concerns about 'shellfish poisoning' ahead of the spring season, caution is required when harvesting and consuming mussels, clams, sea squirts, and sea cucumbers until June.

On the 6th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety urged caution in harvesting, distribution, and consumption of bivalves such as mussels, ark clams, clams, scallops, and tunicates such as sea squirts and sea cucumbers until June.

Shellfish poisoning is caused by toxins accumulated in shellfish that feed on toxic plankton living in the sea, posing a risk of poisoning.

Shellfish poisoning begins to occur mainly along the southern coast from March every year and spreads to the east and west coasts. It peaks when seawater temperature is between 15 and 17°C and naturally disappears around mid-June when the temperature rises above 18°C. It is classified into paralytic, diarrhetic, and amnesic shellfish poisoning depending on symptoms.

In Korea, consuming paralytic shellfish poisoning, which occurs frequently, causes numbness around the lips within 30 minutes, gradually spreading to the face and neck, accompanied by headaches and vomiting. In severe cases, muscle paralysis and respiratory distress can lead to death within 24 hours, so if suspicious symptoms appear, immediate medical attention should be sought at the nearest hospital or public health center.

In particular, the shellfish toxins accumulated in shellfish do not decrease even when refrigerated, frozen, or heated, so care should be taken to avoid individuals harvesting and consuming shellfish arbitrarily at the seaside during spring.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to inspect domestically produced shellfish and tunicates sold at wholesale markets and large supermarket suppliers, which are early in the distribution stage, together with 17 metropolitan cities and provinces. If test results exceed the allowable standards, distribution and sales of the relevant seafood will be prohibited, and recall and disposal measures will be taken.

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