FSA Press Release (2003/0428), 31 October 2003
The Agency is advising people against eating spoiled smoked mackerel, which has been on sale in a chain of supermarkets in the north-west of England.
Eating the fish, which has not been properly smoked, could result in food poisoning. The fish has been on sale in the Booths chain of supermarkets across the north-west of England.
Four people from Lancashire have suffered food poisoning after eating mackerel bought from the chain. The symptoms include nausea, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The product, which has been withdrawn from sale, comes vacuum-packed and is labelled on the plastic pack as Booths Smoked Mackerel.
The affected batch has a use by date of 02.11.03. The product is marked as being suitable for home freezing. Anyone who has any of this fish at home in the freezer or fridge should throw it away.
The manufacturer, C&G Neve, based in Fleetwood, Lancashire, has established that the cause of the problem was a production fault, which resulted in the mackerel being smoked at a temperature that was not high enough to kill bacteria.