FDA Warns of Ciguatera Poisoning from Gulf of Mexico Fish

This week the FDA is warning consumers of the risk of ciguatera poisoning linked to fish harvested in the northern Gulf of Mexico.  The risky fish were traced to an area in federal waters south of the Texas-Louisiana coastline. The Associated Press reports at least 28 cases in people around the country since November.  The riskiest fish are grouper, snapper, amberjack, and barracuda.

According to the CDC, ciguatera poisoning is caused by eating fish that have eaten toxic marine algae.  Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and neurological dysfunction such as sensing cold things as hot and hot things as cold. The FDA’s Bad Bug Book says that ciguatera poisoning usually sets in hours after eating the fish and, while generally short-lived, can last for years in some cases.

The FDA is stressing that seafood processors should review their HAACP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plans concerning fish that can harbor the toxin.  Failure to do so may result in fish products being classified as adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 342(a)(4)). 

Link to FDA’s warning letter to the fisheries industry. 

Thank you to William Mitchell College of Law student Ellen Laine for preparing this post.