Raw oysters from the Oslo fjord should not be eaten
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority warns people not to eat raw oysters after the warm water in the Oslo Fjord has led to an explosive amount of Vibrio bacteria in the sea. Oysters (Asian) are not a natural part of the Norwegian fauna, but the delicacy is now found at many places along the coast.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s warning comes after several people have been sick of the bacteria after bathing in the fjord. It has become common to harvest oysters several places in the Oslo Fjord, and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) now warns people along the coast down to southern Norway against eating them, reports the newspaper Budstikka.
The Vibrio bacteria can cause infection in wounds and can also cause food poisoning when eating raw seafood.
Cooked seafood is safe to eat
– Shells, such as oysters and mussels, filter large quantities of seawater and can contain large amounts of bacteria. Vibrio bacteria are killed by boiling or equivalent heat treatment. Therefore, it is important to treat the shells (including oysters) from the Oslo Fjord with heat, the coast of Telemark and the south coast of Norway before consumption writes the NFSA.
No one has so far been registered as being ill after eating raw oysters, but the Food Safety Authority nevertheless chooses to warn against the danger thereof.
The Vibrio bacteria can make people very ill and vulnerable people with impaired immune systems are the most at risk. The bacteria usually do not appear in Norwegian waters since they only survive with temperatures above 20 degrees centigrade. The prolonged warm summer weather has led to warmer water and therefore higher concentration of the bacteria.
The updated list of where you can safely harvest and enjoy mussels and other shells is found here. Note: this only shows the danger from algae, not bacteria.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
