FDA Issues Final Guidance for Seafood Processors On How to Avoid Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final guidance recommending that primary seafood processors who purchase reef fish such as grouper, amberjack, snapper, lionfish, king mackerel, and barracuda take steps to minimize consumers’ risk of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) from the fish they distribute. An FDA statement said the guidance complements the agency’s existing advice on preventing CFP, which is contained in the Fourth Edition of the Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance (2011) (Guide), and identifies two species of lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) as additional reef fish associated with the risk of CFP.
CFP is caused by consuming fish that have eaten toxic marine algae or that have eaten other fish containing the toxins. The toxins accumulate in the flesh of reef dwelling fish, with higher ciguatoxin levels predominately found in predatory species, which are then harvested either commercially or by recreational fishermen. Consumers who eat fish that contain ciguatoxin are at risk for contracting CFP.