It turns out that there’s a potential health risk with these individually wrapped frozen fish. This health risk is known as botulism.
What is botulism?
The CDC defines botulism as a “rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves.” Symptoms initially involve weakened muscles. However it can lead to difficulty breathing and even death. Botulism is most commonly associated with canned goods, but the risk also presents itself with vacuum-sealed packaging.
Why does this happen?
Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic bacteria. It produces spores that grow in warmer, low-oxygen conditions. These spores then can release the toxin which results in botulism. In other words, when you remove the frozen package from the freezer and the temperature rises, the risk of this happening increases rapidly.
How do you prevent this from happening?
Luckily, there are a series of simple tips to prevent this from happening.
1. Properly store frozen fish
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