Health Canada issues lobster tomalley advisory
Last Updated: Monday, May 12, 2008 | 3:34 PM NT
CBC News
Health Canada is advising people to limit their consumption of tomalleys, the loose, green substance found inside cooked lobsters, out of concern for possible toxic contamination.
The tomalley acts as the lobster's liver. (CBC) It's a part of the lobster that many put aside, but Phyllis Carr and Christine Paynter told CBC News as they sat down to a feed of lobster on the North Shore of P.E.I. last week that they can't get enough of it.
"It's so good and sweet," said Carr, who runs a lobster pound in Stanley Bridge.
"When my father owned the lobster pound we always had lobster," said Paynter.
"We'd eat it every day, pretty well. Eat two or three small ones a day. Never hurt us. I'm still here."
Tomalley acts as the liver in the lobster and plays a role in filtering toxins. Eating the tomalley could cause exposure to the paralytic shellfish toxin, says Health Canada. Symptoms of a mild exposure include a tingling sensation or numbness of the lips shortly after eating. More serious side-effects include muscular paralysis, choking, even death.
Phyllis Carr is concerned the warning could hurt her lobster pound business. (CBC)Health Canada recommends children eat no more than one tomalley per day, and adults no more than two, but says there are no restrictions on the consumption of lobster meat.
Both Carr and Paynter have exceeded that tomalley limit on many occasions, but they aren't concerned.
"I've been doing it my whole life and haven't seen any effects of that, ever," Carr said.
She is more concerned how the warning might affect her lobster pound business.
"It does put a fear into people if they think they're going to get sick from it," she said.
Health Canada says it has never had a report of people getting sick from toxic tomalleys. It added if it does hear of cases, it will issue another warning.
