The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Pusateri's Fine Foods is warning customers not to eat certain brands of packaged fish sold at the high-end Toronto store on fears they may contain a bacteria that could cause a life-threatening illness.
The groups said Friday that the vacuum packaged fish products may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. The toxins produced by this bacterium may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.
Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with the toxin may cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, headache, double vision, dry throat, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
However, the CFIA said in a release that there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
The products have been sold only at Pusateri's Fine Foods located at 1539 Avenue Rd., Toronto. Pusateri's is voluntarily recalling the affected products.
The products include:
- Delicately smoked boneless rainbow trout
- Nanuk Balick salmon centre cut Atlantic smoked salmon
- Original lox smoked sockeye salmon
The gourmet grocer at Avenue Road and Lawrence Avenue made headlines in October 2011 when it shut its doors for a number of days due to a pest infestation and poor sanitation. The store said the cockroach infestation may have been caused by a shipment of holiday wicker baskets imported from overseas.
