Búzios Feijoada, Horn
Toxin with strong presence in 76% of the analyzed horns “can even lead to cardiorespiratory arrest or cause to death,” warns the University of Algarve. Boiling or freezing does not solve.
A neurotoxin detected in horns captured off the Algarve It can cause intoxications in humans if the mollusk is not well prepared before it is ingested, a researcher at the University of Algarve (UALG) warned this Wednesday.
Sandra Lage joined Ualg’s Sea Science Center (CCMAR) team that analyzed 25 horns, captured between November 2021 and October 2022, and told Lusa agency that the results show that 76% had tetrodotoxin levels above the maximum limit considered safe for human consumptiono By the European Food Security Agency.
Horn is a buzzy -shaped mollusk with about a hand that is usually used to make dishes like feijoadabut its consumption can comply with health risks if neurotoxin is not properly eliminated through effective evisceration before its ingestion, the researcher warned.
It is a neurotoxin that can “only cause some gastrointestinal problems” in low doses, but at high concentrations, “and if it is an elderly person or a child, it can even lead to a cardiorespiratory arrest or to provoke even death”He clarified.
Present in the Balloon Fish and known in Asian countries, where “there have already been many reported cases of people who died” due to their consumption, Tetrodotoxin “It’s an emerging toxin” in Europethat “it is not currently regulated or monitored in the European Union, because only recently was discovered” in European territory, he justified.
Asked about the causes of contamination, Sandra Lage replied that the study also analyzed starfish, a usual food of the horns, but only one accused the presence of the toxin, of the 25 captured in the same places.
“This toxin is known to be produced by bacteria. And we know that it used to exist here. But the vector that has led to horns is still under study. We know that the star is a potential vector, but there may be other types of prey that this horn eats, because it is a carnivorous, an opportunistic carnivorous,” he argued.
Sandra Lage stressed that, in addition to scientific work, there are public health reasons in question and considered that it is important to warn the population to the presence of this neurotoxin, which “was exclusively on the visceral part, the intestine, the stomach, the bladder, but that, in the muscle, was not”.
“If it is well manipulated, it does not risk, but if it is poorly manipulated it can take this risk,” he said, noting that The boiling or freezing of the horns does not eliminate the toxin and that consumption is only safe with effective and due removal of viscera.
Finding the cause of horns will now be the objective of a new study of this CCMAR team, which already has funding for this purpose, the researcher pointed out, estimating that this year can start work.
