Tip of the Week

Did you know that leaving fish to defrost at room temperature or in water can cause food poisoning or an allergic reaction
A common form of food poisoning attributed to fish is Scombroid food poisoning. The symptoms of this type of food poisoning are similar to having an allergic reaction – hives, rash redness, heart palpitations, etc. The symptoms can also include sickness and diarrhoea.
Fresh fish needs to be frozen at source or kept at very low temperatures as the flesh starts to spoil at the relatively low temperature of 16°C.
Histidine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is present in fish. At temperatures above 16°C histidine is converted into histamine which can result in Scombroid food poisoning.
This Histamine is not destroyed by normal cooking temperatures so, if the fish has been left at room temperature and is then properly cooked, it can still result in poisoning.
Alert
Always defrost fish in the refrigerator under controlled temperature conditions. The outside temperature of the fish will easily rise to +16°C if defrosted in a sink of water or a warm kitchen.
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