Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has warned the public that various consignments of live clams imported from Canada could paralyse or even kill. EEEK!
Four batches of geoduck clams (you know, those gross ones that look like big flaccid penises), were found to be subject to paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin, which can cause numbness of the mouth and limbs, gastrointestinal discomfort, breathing difficulties, paralysis and, very occasionally, death.
The toxin, sometimes found in bi-valve shellfish, cannot be destroyed by cooking.
A statement from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said:
“The CFS today received notification from the Canadian authorities that PSP toxin was detected in three consignments of live geoduck clams imported from Canada at a level of 110 micrograms per 100 grams. The affected live geoduck clams were harvested on Dec. 8. The CFS subsequently received notification from the Macao authorities that another consignment of affected Canadian live geoduck clams was re-exported to Hong Kong from Macao.”
The guilty culprits are 200 pounds of Samuels Seafood clams imported on Dec. 11; 290 kilograms of Shui Ling Seafood clams imported on Dec. 12; and 680 pounds of LongFine Seafood clams imported on Dec. 13.
The three importers have been contacted by the CFS and asked to stop selling the sickly snails, and the public are urged to stop consumption straight away.
Those who have bought geoduck clams but are unsure of their origin are also advised to throw them out “for prudence sake”.
Life lesson: never put something that looks like that in your mouth if you don’t know where it’s been.
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