Raw oyster lovers: We are afraid we have some bad news. You know this little voice in the back of your head whispering “hopefully eating this probably living sea creature that spent its life filtering the dirty water of the oceans is not going to make me deadly sick” every time you drop one below; Well, you may want to start listening to it right now — at least when it comes to oysters being harvested in some parts of British Columbia. According to a food safety advice issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), potentially infected oysters that can cause norovirus and other gastrointestinal diseases have been distributed in 13 states. See what you need to know and what not to eat.
How many people are sick?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is continuing its investigation into food safety for outbreaks of norovirus and gastrointestinal disease associated with the consumption of raw oysters from British Columbia, according to the Public Health Service of Canada. As of March 30, 2022, 279 illnesses had been reported in Canada. It is not clear at this time how many cases of gastrointestinal disease caused by these oysters have been reported in the United States.
Which oysters pose a safety risk?
Potentially infected raw oysters were harvested in southern and central Baynes Sound, British Columbia, Canada, and distributed to restaurants and businesses in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Massachusetts. , Texas and Washington state, says the FDA. The agency and the competent states conducted an investigation to determine where the raw oysters were distributed and to make sure that they were removed from the food supply. But if you have bought raw oysters from the grocery store or a market, it is up to you to check them out. These oysters were harvested from the sites of BC. 14-8 BC 14-15 in British Columbia as of January 31, 2022. This information is printed on product labels, so read it carefully before eating oysters — especially since foods contaminated with norovirus can look, smell, and taste normal. If you have any potentially infected oysters, throw them away immediately. The FDA has not provided any information about receiving a refund for these oysters, so you may want to stick it on the product label and take it to the retail store where you purchased it to see if there is anything it can offer. And if you think you’ve got sick after eating oysters, it’s best to discuss it with a health professional. Symptoms of norovirus include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, fever, headache and body aches and can be especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, the FDA notes.
