Do not eat some oysters from British Columbia because they may be contaminated with Paralytic Shellfish Toxin, or PSP, according to the FDA. The oysters are from Dailyfresh Shellfish, Inc., with lot number 240531JM that were harvested from Subarea 23-10 in British Columbia, Canada on May 30, 2024. The oysters were sold to restaurants and food retailers in California.
On June 10, 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency advised the FDA that recent monitoring detected elevated levels of PSP in shellfish harvested from that Subarea. The shellfish was shipped to California and may have been distributed to other states as well.
PSP is a naturally occurring biotoxin that is produced by some species of microscopic algae. Shellfish, which are filter feeders, eat the algae and can retain the toxin. Shellfish contaminated with this toxin will look, smell, and taste normal and the texture will not be affected. These toxins are not eliminated by cooking or freezing.
Symptoms of PSP occur within minutes or hours of consumption. Symptoms include tingling of the tongue and lips and progresses to the hands and feet. This can be followed by difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, a feeling of floating, nausea, vomiting, and headache. This toxin can be deadly. These symptoms are a medical emergency, so seek medical attention immediately.
If you purchased these oysters with that lot number, do not eat them and do not serve them to others. Discard them or take them back to the store where you bought them for a refund. It’s important to then clean storage areas and bins, cutting boards, and anything that may have come into contact with the oysters.
