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| Science says one man's poison is another's fish |
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By: Yan Zhen and Lydia Chen(Shanghai Daily)
Mar 12,2008 |
THE famous, but sometimes deadly delicacy known as puffer fish may appear on menus in the city within two years.
Scientists at the Shanghai Fisheries University are working out how to prepare the toxic puffer fish so that they are safe to eat.
Researchers have been studying two species of the fish, both of which are domestically bred, for a year analyzing the locality of toxins throughout their systems and in different seasons.
"The main purpose of our research program is to have a clear idea of when and which part of the fish is poisonous and then establish standards for its safe consumption," said Wang Xichang, dean of the university's food sciences and technology, the research program leader.
Puffer fish, also known as blowfish and balloonfish, contain tetrodotoxin, a compound that makes them taste bad and is often lethal to other fish. For humans, tetrodotoxin is 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide.
There is enough tetrodotoxin in one puffer fish to kill 30 adults and there is no known antidote.
Although the fish is banned at local restaurants, it is popular among some diners for its delicate and delicious taste.
Seventy-six people in Shanghai have been poisoned by eating the fish. One person died after eating the fish in 2006, the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration said.
Researchers say the fish can be edible if the cooking process is strictly supervised and carried out by qualified chefs.
In Japan, for instance, Wang said that restaurants with a special government license are allowed to prepare and sell puffer fish.
Chefs at these restaurants hold a special license and health authorities carry out checks regularly to ensure the safety of customers.
"After we complete systematic studies on the fish and its poison, the Japanese model could also be introduced in the city," Wang said. "Then local people could be assured of enjoying the delicacy safely."
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