Recently, Mr. Yu, a citizen of Shanghai, was at home
The seafood shop ordered a takeout order
One of the dishes is called "Spicy Sea Melon Seeds".
The accompanying picture looks like a whelk that the state prohibits the sale of
Subsequently, Mr. Yu reported the situation to the North Bund Market Supervision Office of the Shanghai Hongkou District Market Supervision Administration. At present, the regulatory authorities have filed a case for investigation into this report and complaint, and the store involved has removed the dish from the shelves.
With the name of "sea melon seeds".
There are quite a few traders who are suspected of selling whelks
The reporter searched for "spicy sea melon seeds" on the takeaway platform and found that there are still many merchants suspected of selling woven snails.
When the reporter tried to place an order, one canceled the order on the grounds that "sea melon seeds are out of stock". The other did not deliver the order for a long time, and the phone could not be connected, and the merchant did not cancel the order until two hours later. Subsequently, the reporter placed an order in a store called "Beiban Island Small Seafood" successfully.
After receiving the dish, the reporter sent the picture to the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, and researcher Cai Youqiong confirmed that it was a longitudinal rib snail.
However, the reporter called the merchant to inquire, but the other party insisted that it was the "sea melon seeds" produced in Lianyungang. Faced with the reporter's question about whether the food was poisonous, the merchant said, "I don't care, anyway, if someone wants to eat it, I can sell it."
After the reporter submitted the clue to the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, it was learned that the local market supervision department has carried out verification, and the reporter will follow up on the follow-up progress.
Cai Youqiong introduced that the mainland is vast, the coastline is long, and there are many local dialects, and the "sea melon seeds" are referred to differently. In Shandong, "sea melon seeds" refers to longitudinal ribbed snails; In Fujian and Guangdong, "sea melon seeds" refers to Xun's muscle clams, while in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, "sea melon seeds" refers to rainbow cherry clams. (Note: "Sea melon seeds" refer to different kinds of conchs, some of which are drug-free)
Cai Youqiong introduced that the toxicity of the snail is related to its living environment, but at present, the national level has not clarified which varieties or regions of the snail are toxic, and the management is based on the former Ministry of Health's "Announcement on the Prevention of Food Poisoning of Snails" (Announcement No. 13 of 2012 of the Ministry of Health) and the former General Office of the State Food and Drug Administration's "Reply to Issues Concerning the Sales of Snails" (Food and Drug Administration Food and Drug Administration Food Supervision Second Letter [2016] No. 528), which clearly stipulates: No food production and business operation unit shall purchase, Processing and sales of snails.
What is a snail? How to identify?
How toxic is it?
Commonly known as sea snail, sea snail, wheat snail or white snail, it is mainly distributed in coastal areas such as Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. Its shape is characterized by a pointed and slender tail, about 1 cm in length and 0.5 cm in width, about the size of a fingernail.
The shell surface often has 1~3 purple-brown or red-yellow spiral bands, the surface pattern looks like weaving, the screw mouth is white, the flesh is light yellow, and generally lives near offshore reefs and mud and sand bottoms.
Snails are poisonous creatures, a hundred times more toxic than arsenic. The virulence of the snail with strong toxicity can reach hundreds of rat units per gram of snail meat, that is to say, adults will have general poisoning symptoms if they eat about 10g of such snail meat, and about 50g to 100g can cause death.
The main cause of snail poisoning is the tetrodotoxin it contains, which can produce symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, numbness of the lips and fingers after consumption, and the incubation period is as short as 5 minutes and as long as 4 hours. There is no specific treatment and antidote for poisoning caused by edible snails.
Someone has suffered cardiac arrest after eating
One is fatal, and warnings are issued in many places
Every summer
It is the season with a high incidence of food poisoning in snails.
At the beginning of June last year, Ms. Zhang from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, was killed by eating two large handfuls of conch.
Symptoms of nausea, vomiting, poisoning, and even cardiac arrest once! When she was transferred to the ICU, Ms. Zhang's bilateral pupils were dilated and fixed, and she lost consciousness and was in critical condition
During the treatment, according to the photos provided by the patient's family, the doctor determined that Ms. Zhang was eating a snail. "The main toxin of this snail causing food poisoning is paralytic shellfish toxin, similar to puffer fish toxin, which cannot be decomposed by heating, salting, exposure and other processing methods."
Warnings have also been issued many times in many places across the country
Members of the public are reminded not to eat whelks
On April 28, 2022, the Guangdong Provincial Administration for Market Regulation issued a food safety consumption reminder, which mentioned that "wild mushrooms, fresh daylily, puffer fish, snails and some products that may be toxic or have a risk of parasites should not be consumed". The market supervision authorities in Foshan, Shaoguan and other places have also issued food safety consumption reminders, which mention that "wild mushrooms, fresh daylily, puffer fish, snails and some products that may be toxic or have a risk of parasites are not consumed". The Shenzhen Municipal Market Supervision Bureau has issued a reminder that school canteens should ban foods such as whelks.
The Quanzhou Municipal Bureau of Oceans and Fisheries in Fujian Province also issued a reminder that from April to September every year is the most toxic time for the snail, which can produce dizziness, vomiting, numbness of the lips and fingers and other poisoning symptoms after eating, with an incubation period of as little as 5 minutes and a maximum of 4 hours. Remind everyone not to eat whelks when dining out to avoid accidents.