Botulism Alert: Contaminated Canned Tuna from Spain Smuggled into Morocco

After the intoxication of 4 members of the same family following the consumption of a homemade Russian salad made with the infected tuna, the Spanish chain has withdrawn the product from its stores and calls for caution.

According to huffpostmaghreb.com, this product imported in particular from the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla is unfortunately found on the shelves of Moroccan supermarkets. Consumers are urged to be vigilant so as not to suffer the fate of the four members of this family.

The same media reports that after withdrawing the product from sale as a precautionary measure, the Spanish distributor called on its customers to return all cans of tuna at risk, specifying that the Food Safety Agency (AECOSAN) has only confirmed the presence of botulinum toxin in the analysis of one can.

However, the supermarket chain stresses that the call only concerns batch 19/154 023 02587 of 900 grams of oil-packed tuna, manufactured by Frinsa del Noroeste S.A., best before December 31, 2022 and which was already selling at a rate of 1.35 million units per year, or about 3,560 per day.

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin produced by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Ingestion of food contaminated with this toxin is the cause of botulism, a serious paralytic disease characterized by the appearance of autonomic disorders such as dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, and progressive muscle paralysis.