Trade withdrawal of Booths brand smoked mackerel
Friday 31 October 2003
Category C: Action as deemed necessary
Ref: 44/2003
Heads of Environmental Health and Directors of Trading Standards will wish to be aware that the following product has been withdrawn from sale by the manufacturer due to the presence of high levels of histamine.
This problem was identified during an investigation into a small outbreak of scombrotoxin food poisoning.
This product is manufactured by C&G Neve and is supplied by them as vacuum packed smoked mackerel to Booths Supermarkets in the North West of England.
Identification of product
Booths brand smoked mackerel in vacuum packaging with a use by date of 02.11.2003, weight 0.574 kg (average weight), label indicates product suitable for home freezing.
Action to be taken by local authorities
Both the manufacturer C&G Neve and the retailer Booths Supermarkets have withdrawn the product from sale and it is believed that the trade withdrawal has been effective and that it is unlikely that any affected product remains on sale.
However, as the label on the Booths vacuum packed smoked mackerel indicates that the product is suitable for home freezing, there remains the possibility that affected product remains in people's homes.
Therefore local authorities are asked to consider providing local publicity at the next available opportunity.