“Although no illnesses have been reported from consumption of this product, there is some concern that the product could be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health for Westchester County. “Botulism is a serious and potentially fatal illness. Therefore, we advise consumers not to eat this product.”

The Westchester County Health Department issued this consumer alert after receiving notification of the health concerns from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today. Concerns stem from an analysis by New York State Food Laboratory personnel that found the "smoked boney fish" to be uneviscerated or “ungutted” – the gut and internal organs of this processed fish had not been removed. Sale of uneviscerated processed fish is prohibited under New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets regulations because Clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera (gut) than any other portion of the fish.  Uneviscerated processed fish has been linked to previous outbreaks of botulism poisoning.

Symptoms of botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing, and respiratory paralysis.