FDA urges market pullout of Korean molluscan shellfish
UNITED STATES – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised US food wholesalers, food retailers and food-service operators to remove from their distribution chains all clams, mussels, oysters and scallops – collectively known as molluscan shellfish – that have come to the US from South Korea.
Whether fresh, frozen or processed, all molluscan shellfish that came to the US from South Korea before May 1 are to be removed. According to the FDA, these products and any products made with them may have been exposed to human fecal waste, and they are potentially contaminated with norovirus.
Molluscan shellfish contaminated with fecal waste or norovirus are considered adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Some food companies began to pull these products from their distribution chains after being notified about them last month, but others have yet to take action, the FDA reported.
A comprehensive FDA evaluation determined that the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program, or KSSP, no longer meets the sanitation controls specified under the U.S. National Shellfish Sanitation Program. This evaluation found significant deficiencies in the KSSP, including inadequate sanitary controls, ineffective management of land-based pollution sources, and inefficacious detection of norovirus in shellfish-growing areas, the FDA said.
The deficiencies in the KSSP led the FDA to remove all South Korean certified shippers of molluscan shellfish from the ICSSL on May 1. South Korean and U.S. authorities are conducting discussions to solve this problem.
Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annually, it causes about 21 million illnesses and contributes to about 70,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths, the CDC reported. Norovirus is also the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the U.S., the CDC said.
The most common symptoms of norovirus-related illness are abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Among other symptoms are fevers, headaches, and muscle aches. Most people develop symptoms 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus. The illness typically lasts one to three days. Dehydration is the most common complication — especially in young children and old adults — and it may require medical care.
There have been no reported U.S. norovirus-related illnesses associated with the consumption of South Korean molluscan shellfish this year, but there were such illnesses associated with the consumption of South Korean oysters last year, according to the FDA.
FDA urges consumers to check the label on the packaged seafood to find out its place of origin. If uncertain, consumers can call the manufacturer out or simply dispose the product.
Source: International Business Times
Category: Health alert
