Toxins detected in Hawke Bay shellfish
A shellfish biotoxin alert has been published by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for Hawke Bay.
Routine testing found shellfish samples collected from Pania Reef contained Paralytic Shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in excess of the safe limit of 0.8mg/kg set by MPI.
The warning covers the area between the Mohaka River mouth to the top of Cape Kidnappers.
In a statement, MPI said that they continue to monitor toxin levels, with stricter monitoring programmes for commercially harvested shellfish.
"Any changes will be communicated accordingly... There are no commercial shellfish farms in the affected region."
Here's what you need to know:
- The public are advised not to eat Mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina (sea urchin), and all other bivalve shellfish.
- Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking.
- Symptoms of poisoning typically appear 10 minutes to three hours after ingestion and can include numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, and extremities (hands and feet), difficulty swallowing or breathing, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea paralysis and respiratory failure, and in severe cases, death.
Members of the public who have become ill after ingesting the affected shellfish should get in touch with Healthline (0800 61 11 16) or seek medical attention immediately. Keep any shellfish leftover for testing.
Find out more about the alert by heading to the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
Suellen’s sweet Christmas tradition
The festive season is always a great excuse to indulge your sweet tooth, and this time of year poses the perfect opportunity to bring a real showstopper to the Christmas table.
For Suellen’s family, that showstopper is Croquembouche, an impressive tower of cream puffs bound together with spun sugar that is popular at weddings in France and Italy.
What began as a birthday treat at a local French café has become a cherished Christmas tradition for Suellen and her 17-year-old twin granddaughters, Ellie and Sadie. Every year, the trio gather in Suellen’s apartment at William Sanders Village to cook this festive dessert - a holiday highlight they all treasure.
Click read more for the recipe.
Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?
Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag
On the range
Venetian plaster finishes are on-trend at the moment, so why not recreate this look at home and cover that unsightly rangehood at the same time? Find out how to create your own with Resene Sandtex and these easy step by step instructions.
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