Tuna and Mackerel can cause which foodborne toxicity?

• A. Scrombroid toxicity
• B. Botulism
• C. Listeriosis
• D. Paralytic shellfish poisoning

Answer: (A)

Tuna and mackerel can cause scrombroid (histamine) poisoning. This happens when fish high in histidine are not kept properly cold after harvest, allowing bacteria to convert histidine into histamine. The histamine is heat-stable, so cooking or canning won’t destroy it. After eating the fish, people often experience a rapid onset of symptoms that mimic an allergic reaction—flushing, sweating, headaches, a burning or peppery taste in the mouth, and sometimes diarrhea or abdominal cramps—typically within minutes to a few hours.

This is different from other toxins or infections listed: botulism involves a neurotoxin from poor canning or preserved foods, listeriosis comes from Listeria infection in refrigerated foods, and paralytic shellfish poisoning comes from toxins in shellfish, not tuna or mackerel.