Consumers Urged Not To Eat Illegal Mussels

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is urging consumers not to
eat mussels being sold illegally at independent retailers or
online.

The sale of imported mussels is carefully
controlled to ensure they meet New Zealand’s food safety
requirements. While mussels from Fiji may be brought into
New Zealand for personal use, they cannot be
sold.

Deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle says
Fijian mussels have been removed from sale at some smaller
retailers catering to Pacific Island communities, and
online.

“As NZFS has not assessed Fiji’s growing,
harvesting and processing controls for mussels we cannot be
confident that the mussels don’t pose a food safety risk
to consumers.”

The mussels are also known as: Nakai,
Naakai, Nakaai, Kai, Batissa violacea and Fresh Water
Mussels.

“It’s vital that mussels available to buy
for members of the public are safe to eat. Knowing where the
mussels you want to buy have come from can help reduce the
risk of any potential health problems.

“Our message
to people buying mussels is that if you are in any doubt,
ask the retailer where the product has come from. If it is
from Fiji, the mussels should not be for
sale.”

Mussels are a higher risk food because of the
way they feed, which increases the likelihood of
contamination from bacteria, viruses, toxins and
chemicals.

Eating contaminated mussels can lead to
significant illness for vulnerable people, including the
very young, the elderly, pregnant women and those with
compromised immune systems.

“New Zealand Food Safety
will monitor the situation and will act quickly to remove
illegal mussels in the interests of public
health.

“In the meantime, we’d like to empower
consumers to be on the lookout for illegal mussels. This
applies whether you are making a regular visit to your local
specialty store or browsing social media
feeds.”

Anyone worried about their health should
contact their GP or call Healthline 0800 611 116.

If
you are aware of the sale of mussels from Fiji, please
contact NZFS on 0800 00 83 33, at info@mpi.govt.nz or
through our ’make
a food complaint’
tool.

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