Indonesia’s Food Monitoring Agency finds dead worms in canned fish products from China & Singapore

Anisakis worms found in canned fish in Indonesia. Photo: Youtube/Batam Video
Anisakis worms found in canned fish in Indonesia. Photo: Youtube/Batam Video

Making the phrase “opening a can of worms” all too literal, Indonesia’s Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) yesterday confirmed that some canned fish sold in the country contain dead worms.

The canned fish worm scare began in the Riau Islands Province earlier this week when citizens uploaded photos and videos, like the one below, of dead worms found floating about in canned fish sauce.

(Warning: NSFL)




Based on BPOM’s investigation, worms have been found in the tomato sauce of canned mackerel and sardines from three canned fish brands so far: Farmerjack, IO, and Hoki, which were reportedly imported from China and Singapore.

“We have not only ordered the importers to pull the products off shelves, but we have also told the importers to destroy the three products,” said Riau Islands BPOM head Yosef Dwi Irwan, as quoted by Kompas yesterday.

Yosef added that the worms were identified to be anisakis simplex, or more commonly known as the herring worm. The species, which lives in ocean fish and marine mammals, is infective to humans and can cause anasikiasis – a parasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract causing severe abdominal pain, malnutrition, and vomiting.

BPOM, along with other government agencies, are testing random samples of canned fish throughout the country to check for the presence of worms. Consumers can report unhygienic canned fish, as well as other food products, to BPOM by calling 1-500-533 or texting 0812-1-9999-533.



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