Fried Frozen Fish Leads to "Dizziness and Numbness" Symptoms... Multiple Residents Hospitalized

Prepared and Consumed Pufferfish Caught Two Years Ago
Pufferfish Toxins Cannot Be Eliminated by Freezing or Heating

An incident occurred in an island village in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, where residents were hospitalized after showing symptoms of group poisoning following the shared consumption of pufferfish. On January 14, Yonhap News Agency, citing announcements from the North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province Fire Department and the Gunsan Coast Guard, reported that elderly residents were urgently transported to nearby hospitals due to pufferfish poisoning.

A report was received that a group showed symptoms of poisoning after a non-expert personally prepared and fried frozen pufferfish. Getty Images

At approximately 8:33 p.m. the previous day, a report was received from a pension in Okdo-myeon, Gunsan, stating that "residents are showing symptoms of paralysis after eating pufferfish dishes." Fire authorities, responding to a request for cooperation from the Coast Guard, were dispatched to the scene. Of the six residents who consumed the pufferfish dish, four-including a man in his seventies, referred to as Mr. A-exhibited symptoms of tetrodotoxin poisoning, such as numbness at the tip of the tongue and dizziness, and were urgently transported to a nearby hospital. The remaining two individuals who ate the dish reportedly showed no particular symptoms as of now. Fortunately, none of those affected are in life-threatening condition.

On the 7th, pufferfish caught by fishermen at Jumunjin Port Wharf in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province. Pufferfish is an ingredient that always carries risks even for skilled experts, so non-professionals should never attempt to prepare it. Yonhap News

According to the investigation, the group had taken out pufferfish they themselves caught and froze in 2023, cooked it as fried pufferfish, and shared the meal. However, it was confirmed that there were no certified professionals with a pufferfish cooking license present at the scene. A police official stated, "It appears that the removal of toxins was not properly carried out during the preparation process by non-experts using frozen pufferfish," adding, "We are conducting a further investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the incident."

Fatal Accidents Continue Due to Pufferfish Prepared Without Proper Certification

Pufferfish contains a powerful neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, which is known to be hundreds of times more toxic than cyanide. This toxin is not destroyed by heating or freezing, so even a slight failure to remove it during preparation can lead to severe poisoning.

Pufferfish pills containing tetrodotoxin, a pufferfish poison component. The Asia Business Daily DB

Symptoms of poisoning begin with numbness of the tongue and area around the mouth, dizziness, vomiting, and difficulty breathing, and in severe cases can progress to total paralysis and respiratory arrest. There is currently no antidote for tetrodotoxin. According to the current Food Sanitation Act, only individuals who have obtained a pufferfish cooking license are permitted to prepare and sell pufferfish, and cooking by unlicensed individuals is illegal.

In particular, personal preparation and consumption of pufferfish at home or within villages has repeatedly been pointed out as a source of risk for such accidents. Indeed, similar pufferfish poisoning incidents continue to occur across the country. Last year, there were multiple cases in South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces where fishermen or residents prepared pufferfish themselves and required hospital treatment for poisoning symptoms. Most pufferfish-related accidents stem from the perception that "we have been eating it for a long time" or "it should be safe because it was frozen." Therefore, experts continue to warn, "Pufferfish is always a dangerous ingredient, even for skilled professionals," and "non-experts should never attempt to prepare it."