Dan Logcher wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
>
>> I have been in contact with the US FDA and have received the
>> following information.
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>> Escolar, puffer fish, and whelk
>>
>> There are naturally occurring toxins in some species that do not
>> involve marine algae. Escolar (i.e. Lepidocybium flavobrunneum,
>> Ruvettus pretiosus) contains a strong purgative oil, called
>> gempylotoxin. FDA advises against importation. See Import Bulletin
>> 16-B55.
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Even if my one experience indicated that white tuna *was*
>> delicious,
>> I can certainly corroborate the purgative effect!
>
> Whelk? Aren't those snails?
>
> Anyway, could there be a quality issue? I've been eating "Super
> White Tuna" for years now, roughly 2 orders a sitting, and no ill
> effects.

Good luck to you Dan but the purgative effect is confirmed by a lot of
people and it must be your digestion (g). I can certainly see eating
the stuff if you can since, as I mentioned, it tastes pretty good!
Whelks, as you say are large thick-shelled sea snails, and even my
omnivorous relatives never ate them when I was growing up in Britain.
Tho' I never enjoyed them, my family *did* eat periwinkles which are
smaller sea snails with thin blackish shells. They used to be pretty
popular and sold at street stands in London.


--
James V. Silverton
Potomac, Maryland, USA