The Food Agency in Iceland has warned against picking mussels from Hvalfjörður and eating them. Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins are off the charts, according to a representative from the Food Agency. The representative collected mussels on May 4th at Fossá River in Hvalfjörður to investigate whether the public can safely harvest the mussels for consumption, Skessuhorn reports.
The results of the measurements revealed that DSP algae toxicity was 100 points higher than the limit. “Because DSP levels are so high, DSP toxins in mussels can be expected this summer,” an announcement said. Symptoms of DSP include abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. These symptoms appear shortly after consumption, and can take days to pass.
The announcement also said that consumers have no reason to avoid purchasing blue mussels that are grown in Iceland, and are on the market in shops and restaurants. “Domestic production of mussels is under the supervision of the National Food Authority,” it said. “Samples of shellfish and seaweed are regularly taken to monitor the amount of toxic algae in the sea, and whether the shellfish contains algae toxicity.”
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