The deadly toxin that could be lurking in your tuna sandwich

Sadie Nicholas had just finished her evening meal when she felt her face flush red and hot, a headache come on and her heart start to race.

Unknown to her, Sadie had Scombroid poisoning, a potentially deadly condition that can be caused by tinned tuna fish.

After eating a tuna fish salad she’d whipped up at home, Sadie admitted that the fish had tasted ‘oddly bitter and metallic,’ and even left some of it on her plate - but this wasn’t enough to save her from food poisoning.

Scombroid poisoning occurs when the fish isn’t properly preserved once caught, the flesh then decays and toxins develop.

Mackeral, bonitos and sardines can also be affected - but with tuna the more common fish consumed in the UK - it’s through this that most cases are contracted.

Symptoms:

Within 10 - 30 minutes of watching the fish, patients see signs of an allergic reaction. These include:

Patients may also experience diarrhoea, rashes or abdominal cramps. And while most cases only last no more than day, in rare cases the poisoning can prove fatal.

In January 2014, Australians Noelen and Yvana Bischoff died from Scombroid poisoning in Bali, after eating contaminated fish.