SINGAPORE - The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority has detected high levels of a chemical that can cause symptoms like vomiting, rashes and heart palpitations in the canned product, Tuna chunks in Polyunsaturated Oil, from the brand Farmland.
The chemical, histamine, was detected through routine food safety surveillance, AVA said in a statement. The product is imported from Thailand and AVA is working with the importer to recall the affected batch.
"Consumers who have purchased the product should not consume it. Consumers who have consumed the product and feel unwell should consult your doctor or seek medical advice," AVA said in the statement.
Eating marine fish that contain high levels of histamine can cause histamine poisoning, it added. Histamine in food is naturally found in fish species such as tuna, mackerel, and sardines, which belong to the Scombroid family.
Symptoms of histamine poisoning include rash on the upper body or burning in or around the mouth or throat. Symptoms also include a drop in blood pressure, headache and dizziness.
Victims might also suffer itching of the skin, nausea and vomiting. They may experience diarrhoea, an asthma-like constriction of the air passage, heart palpitation and respiratory distress.
Symptoms usually occur within a few minutes to a few hours of consumption and last from 12 hours to a few days.
