Warn sardines may be deadly

Smoked sardines purchased from Apholo Shippers & Sari-Sari Store, 65-21B Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause Botulism, a potentially fatal disease, and should not be eaten, according to New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker.
The smoked fish are considered potentially dangerous because they have not been gutted. Processed fish have been linked to outbreaks of Botulism poisoning because the spores tend to be concentrated in the innards. The sale of this type of fish is prohibited under New York State law.
According to a New York State Department of Agriculture and Marketing (NYSDAM) alert, symptoms of Botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing and respiratory paralysis.
“The sardines were removed from the shelf at the time of discovery,” Jessica Chittenden, Director of Communications at NYSDAM, said. “The most important thing is that people who bought them prior to the discovery don’t eat them.” She said that customers might have frozen the fish, but still need to discard them.
The fish were on sale refrigerated, in un-coded, plastic-wrapped foam trays. The product label indicates it is distributed by C & K, 485 East 54th Street, Elmwood Park, New Jersey 07407.
Apholo Shippers & Sari-Sari Store did not return calls at press time.