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State Agriculture Commissioner Announces Fish Recall

NEWS RELEASE



Contact:  Jessica Chittenden
          (518) 457-3136
          chittend@nysnet.net

For Immediate Release

Brooklyn, NY - August 9, 2000 - State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers announced today that uneviscerated processed fish has been voluntarily recalled by its distributor Roman Enterprises & Sons, 27 Story Street, Brooklyn, New York. This product, labeled in Russian, was discovered by Department food inspectors during an inspection of a large public warehouse facility in Brooklyn, New York. Food samples analyzed at the New York State Food Laboratory confirmed that the fish had not been eviscerated prior to processing.

The 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 Agriculture and Markets regulations because Clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated processed fish has been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning.

Consumers who have this product are advised not to eat it.

According to the distributor, the product was imported into the United States by BP International. It is sold to grocery stores in large cardboard boxes that weight approximately 20 pounds. Distribution records indicate the product has been sold to grocery stores in the Metropolitan New York City area, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. New York Agriculture and Markets food inspectors are continuing their investigation.

Symptoms of Botulism include blurred vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing and respiratory paralysis.

Office of Public Affairs
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