The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is alerting Metro-area customers to avoid eating dried uneviscerated fish after the MDA and the City of Brooklyn Park discovered the product was being sold at three grocery stores. These fish products can result in potentially deadly botulism poisoning if the internal organs are not completely removed. There are no reports of illness associated with this product.
The fish was sold at three stores: African International Market and Value Foods African Market, both in Brooklyn Park, and Fountains African Food Market in Crystal. The fish are pike and bony fish varieties. Fish that are salted, smoked, are over 5″ in length, and are pike, kuta, or bony fish variety may not be eviscerated.
If you purchased this product, do not eat it. Throw it away in a sealed container so other people or animals can’t eat it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. The FDA recommends that any product that will be salted, dried, pickled, or fermented should be fully eviscerated first.
The symptoms of botulism food poisoning include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. If you ate this product and have experienced these symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
