Thats very valuable information relating botulism in salted fish
products and different types of salting and marinating methods from
different countries. Thank you very much for such information.
I am doing research on salted and fermented fish products thesedays in
Turkey. I wonder if anyone knows what type of salting and marinating
procedures do they use in the European countries. It would be a great
help for comparison to Turkish products in terms of quality issues.
Sevim Kose
Karadeniz Technical University
Faculty of Marine Sciences,
61530 Çamburnu, Trabzon, TURKEY
Email. kosesevim@gmail.com
On 12/7/06, Liz Brown <bfeab@uaf.edu> wrote:
> > Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 12:13:59 -0500 (EST)
> > From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu>
> > Subject: PRO/EDR> Botulism, canned uneviscerated fish - USA: recall
> >
> > BOTULISM, CANNED UNEVISCERATED FISH - USA: RECALL
> > ***********************************************
> > A ProMED-mail post
> > <http://www.promedmail.org>
> > ProMED-mail is a program of the
> > International Society for Infectious Diseases
> > <http://www.isid.org>
> >
> >
> > Date: Tue 5 Dec 2006
> > From: Brent Barrett <salbrent@sbcglobal.net>
> > Source: FDA [edited]
> > <http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/EastCoastFoods11_06.html>
> >
> >
> > East Coast Foods Inc. in Brooklyn, NY, is recalling 48 cans of Kaija
> > brand uneviscerated Herring in Special Brine. The uneviscerated fish
> > was discovered by New York State Department of Agriculture and
> > Markets inspectors during a routine inspection, and subsequent
> > analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel confirmed that
> > the fish had not been eviscerated prior to processing.
> >
> > This product may be contaminated with _Clostridium botulinum_ spores,
> > which can cause botulism, a serious and potentially fatal food-borne illness.
> >
> > The sale of this type of fish is prohibited under New York State
> > Department of Agriculture and Markets regulations because _C.
> > botulinum_ spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera
> > than in any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been
> > linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning.
> >
> > The recalled Kaija brand uneviscerated Herring in Special Brine, in
> > an un-coded 1300g metal can with Cyrillic but no English labeling,
> > was sold nationwide.
> >
> > No illnesses have been reported to date.
> >
> > Consumers who have Kaija brand uneviscerated Herring in Special Brine
> > are advised not to eat it but should return it to the place of
> > purchase. Consumers with questions should contact the company at
> > (718) 372-1113.
> >
> > - --
> > Brent Barrett
> > Indianapolis, IN, USA
> > <salbrent@sbcglobal.net>
> >
> > [The following is from FDA Regulations Section 540.650 -
> > Uneviscerated Fish Products that are Salt-cured, Dried, or Smoked (CPG 7108.17)
> > <http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgfod/cpg540-650.htm>:
> >
> > Uneviscerated, salt-cured, whole fish products have caused several
> > outbreaks of botulism and death. _C. botulinum_ spores are ubiquitous
> > in fishery products and the marine environment. The spores represent
> > a public health hazard when conditions are suitable for vegetative
> > cell growth and toxin production.
> >
> > Three outbreaks of botulism, causing 3 deaths and 11 illnesses,
> > resulted from kapchunka in the USA between 1981 and 1987. Kapchunka,
> > an ethnic food usually produced from whitefish, is also known as
> > "rybetz," "ribeyza," or "rostov." Kapchunka is an uneviscerated,
> > salt-cured, air-dried, whole fish, which may or may not be smoked. It
> > is consumed without further preparation, such as cooking.
> >
> > The fish are salt-cured under minimum refrigeration conditions for a
> > minimum of 25 days and then air dried at ambient temperature for 3 to
> > 7 days. Kapchunka may be smoked before packing and are commonly
> > stored under refrigeration.
> >
> > In 1991, 2 botulism outbreaks occurred. In one, "Faseikh" was
> > implicated in at least 91 illnesses and 18 deaths in Egypt. Faseikh
> > is a traditional product made by fermenting uneviscerated fresh
> > mullet for up to one day and then salt-curing it in barrels which may
> > be tightly sealed from one week to one year. In another, an ethnic
> > fish product called "moloha" caused a botulism outbreak involving 4
> > family members in New Jersey. Moloha is an uneviscerated, salt-cured
> > fish product similar to "faseikh." The preparation steps in the New
> > Jersey incident were not identified since the source of the "moloha"
> > could not be found.
> >
> > Other salt-cured products, such as "bloaters," can also pose a public
> > health hazard. Bloaters are prepared by salt-curing uneviscerated,
> > whole herring, which may or may not be smoked. Bloaters may be
> > transformed into other products, such as fillets or bloater paste. In
> > addition to the products noted above, whole fish that are dried,
> > pickled, or fermented can also pose a public health hazard. The
> > referenced episodes of botulism are representative of a
> > well-documented history of life-threatening health hazards associated
> > with uneviscerated, salt-cured fish.
> >
> > The problems with these products are compounded by the difficulty in
> > attaining sufficient levels of salt in all portions of an
> > uneviscerated fish to inhibit the growth of the _C. botulinum_.
> > Consequently, any fish product that is salt-cured and then dried,
> > smoked, pickled, or fermented can pose a public health hazard. Toxin
> > may be present in these products even when there are no outward signs
> > of microbiological spoilage or other clear indications to alert the consumer.
> >
> > Control of growth and toxin production from _C. botulinum_ in fishery
> > products is based on spore destruction (e.g., retorting canned foods)
> > or inhibition of vegetative cell growth (e.g., control of water
> > activity, or pH, or use of approved chemical inhibitors). The control
> > measures must be applied rapidly and uniformly throughout the product
> > to protect consumers from this potentially life-threatening toxin.
> >
> > Control of botulism can also be achieved in salted, dried, or smoked
> > products prepared from small species of uneviscerated fish (generally
> > 3 to 5 inches in length). Typically, these products are prepared from
> > small anchovy and herring sprats. As uneviscerated fish under 5
> > inches in length are processed, their smaller size helps to ensure
> > complete permeation of the flesh with inhibitory levels of salt or
> > drying to a uniformly low water activity, resulting in the attainment
> > of conditions that prevent the growth of _C. botulinum_.
> >
> > FDA considers uneviscerated fish that are salt-cured, dried, or
> > smoked to represent a potentially life-threatening health hazard. In
> > addition, fillets, parts, or other products derived from
> > uneviscerated fish pose the same potential health hazard as the
> > original product. Therefore, with the exception of small,
> > uneviscerated fish as described above, FDA considers uneviscerated
> > fish that have been salt-cured, dried, or smoked, as well as products
> > made from them, to be adulterated within the meaning of section
> > 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, in that the
> > product has been prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary
> > conditions whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health.
> > These products are hazardous whether stored at ambient temperature,
> > refrigerated, or frozen, or whether packaged in air, vacuum, or
> > modified atmosphere.
> >
> > It is not clear what the size of the canned herring was in this recall.
> >
> > ProMED thanks Brent Barrett for this posting. - Mod.LL]
> >
>
> --
> Liz Brown
> Assistant Professor
> Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program
> School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
> University of Alaska Fairbanks
> PO Box 1549
> Dillingham, Alaska 99576
> 907-842-1265
> fax 907-842-3202
> http://seagrant.uaf.edu/map
>
>
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