Restaurant Owner Cooking Pufferfish Without Certification... Customer Poisoned by Toxin Ultimately Dies

For adults, consuming just 0.5mg is a lethal dose
Boiling or grilling does not eliminate it, and there is no antidote

A female business owner in her 50s who cooked and sold pufferfish without a pufferfish cooking license, resulting in a customer's death, was sentenced to prison again in the appellate court. Pufferfish, classified as a specially controlled species by law, is prohibited from being prepared by unqualified individuals.

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On the 7th, the Gwangju District Court's 2nd Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Kim Young-ah) announced that it overturned the first trial's verdict and sentenced Ms. A (57), who was indicted for professional negligence causing death or injury and violation of the Food Sanitation Act, to eight months in prison with a two-year probation, instead of the original sentence of 10 months in prison with a two-year probation.

Ms. A was charged with cooking five pufferfish without a license at a restaurant in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, on June 18, 2020, and serving them to two customers in their 50s, resulting in one death and one injury.

Ms. A cooked and sold the pufferfish without completely removing the toxin. Customer B, who was taken to the hospital, died in the emergency room, and customer C, who showed paralysis symptoms, received treatment for five days.

Ms. A did not employ a chef with a pufferfish cooking license at the restaurant and used pufferfish she had purchased in advance for cooking.

The appellate court stated, "Due to the defendant's professional negligence, the victims were poisoned by pufferfish toxin, resulting in a serious outcome including one death, so the responsibility is heavy. However, considering that the victims did not want punishment and that the defendant reached a settlement with the bereaved families of the deceased during the appeal, who also do not seek punishment, the original sentence was somewhat heavy and unjust."

Tetrodotoxin in Pufferfish, a Poison Over 1,200 Times More Lethal Than Cyanide

Incidents caused by pufferfish poison occur consistently. Pufferfish is famous as a stamina-boosting health food, but the poison it contains is fatal enough to paralyze the nerves and prevent breathing even in small amounts. Pufferfish pills containing tetrodotoxin, the toxic component of pufferfish poison.
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Incidents and accidents caused by pufferfish toxin continue to occur. Pufferfish is famous as a stamina-boosting health food, but its toxin is so deadly that even a small amount can paralyze nerves and prevent breathing.

The toxin in pufferfish is so potent that consuming just 0.5 mg can be fatal for an adult. This toxicity is more than 1,200 times stronger than cyanide, known chemically as sodium cyanide.

The toxin found in pufferfish is tetrodotoxin, primarily located in the liver and reproductive organs.

Tetrodotoxin selectively inhibits the sodium activation mechanism in nerve and muscle cells, acting as a neurotoxin. Especially during the spawning season, the ovaries of pufferfish contain high concentrations of tetrodotoxin, so consuming pufferfish during this period requires extra caution.

Only Eat Pufferfish Prepared by Certified Professional Chefs

Pufferfish toxin is a type of neurotoxin, and the incubation period before symptoms appear ranges from about 20?30 minutes up to 6 hours after ingestion.

The more severe the symptoms, the shorter the incubation period. The toxin does not disappear even when boiled or grilled, and there is no specific antidote. In cases of poisoning, treatment focuses on symptom correction, and if respiratory muscle paralysis causes breathing difficulties, artificial respiration and other supportive treatments are applied. Above all, if symptoms of pufferfish poisoning appear, immediate hospital treatment is essential.

There are about 120 species of pufferfish worldwide. In South Korea, 21 species including the tiger pufferfish and the black pufferfish are approved for consumption. It is difficult for unqualified individuals to distinguish edible pufferfish, and preparing pufferfish requires specialized knowledge to remove blood, eyes, gills, and internal organs.

Even if one refers to pufferfish preparation videos online, it is not something anyone can safely do, so consuming pufferfish prepared recklessly is dangerous. Only food prepared by chefs qualified to handle pufferfish should be consumed.