Foodborne IllnessQuestion 13 of 240
A customer eats seared tuna and within minutes develops flushing, a peppery taste, headache, and a rash. The tuna had been temperature-abused. This reaction is caused by:
a.Scombroid poisoning from histamine that forms when certain fish are time-temperature abused
b.A live bacterial infection that cooking would have prevented
c.A parasite in the fish muscle
d.A pesticide residue on the fish
Explanation
Scombroid (histamine) poisoning occurs when fish such as tuna, mahi-mahi, and mackerel are time-temperature abused, letting bacteria convert the fish's natural histidine into histamine, a toxin that cooking cannot destroy. Symptoms appear within minutes: flushing, rash, headache, and a peppery taste. Prevention is strict cold-chain control from receiving onward, because once the toxin forms it cannot be removed.
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