The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is recalling fesikh, a salted and cured fish product because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. This dangerous bacteria can cause botulism, which can be life-threatening.
Fesikh is left out to rot, or putrefy, and is then salted and pickled for several months. It’s served during the celebration of spring in Egypt called Sham el-Nessim. Some people die every year of botulism poisoning after eating this product.
The whole fish was sold in clear vacuum-packaged bags of different counts and weights. There was no code or date information. The fish was sold from Lotus Catering and Fine Food at 1960 Lawrence Avenue East in Toronto, Ontario, on or before April 17, 2012.
There have been three illnesses reported to health officials associated with the consumption of this product.
Food that is contaminated with Clostridium botulinum does not appear spoiled or have an off-odor. The symptoms of botulism poisoning include nausea, fatigue, dizziness, vomiting, headache, double vision, and respiratory failure. It can be fatal.
For more information, call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.
