Scombrotoxic fish poisoning is caused by toxins which accumulate in the body of some fish, including tuna, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, herring, anchovies and slalom, during storage, especially about 4°C. The onset period is between 10 minutes and 3 hours. Symptoms last up to 8 hours and include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, a rash on the face and neck, a burning or peppery sensation in the mouth, sweating and diarrhoea. Problems arise in canning fish as, once formed, the toxin is very heat-resistant and will not be destroyed during processing. Refrigerated storage of fish should prevent toxin formation.
ADD PHOTO OF TINNED FISH