I was Botoxed! In a way . . . since I had BOTULISM POISONING!
Originally, the gardener and I were invited to a Halloween party for this past weekend but had to turn it down because we planned to be out of town. It turned out that we couldn’t go away because I’ve been having a lot of trouble with a very painful leg (a whole ‘nother story) and had a bad cold.
Maybe if I’d been out of town I wouldn’t have gotten Botoxed.
Have you noticed how lots of food, especially chicken, fish, and meat, come packaged in vacuum seal these days? I don’t remember when it all changed, but I know it hasn’t been too many years.
I must have been absent the day the memo went out about this new type of packaging for fish—which is a totally different story from other foods. Did you know that when you buy seafood products in vacuum seal packaging you have to take them out of the package to thaw in the refrigerator? When I thaw salmon fillets, I usually do it because the instructions tell me to. But I never really thought about the WHY of it.
I bought salmon patties at a store I don’t usually shop at, and although I read the directions for cooking, I didn’t notice anything about thawing. So, I threw the package from freezer into refrigerator to thaw.
Apparently (and I only play a scientist in my writing sometimes) without oxygen Clostridium botulinum type E grows rapidly on seafood.
There were two patties, and because the gardener was eating burgers instead, I had 1 ½ patties (no buns) and gave him ½ a salmon patty. I ate three times what he did, therefore. And he weighs about 40 pounds more than I do.
I was terribly sick all night. The whole next day I slept and occasionally woke up to stay hydrated. That was Saturday. I still don’t feel great, although I’m no longer sick-sick. I realize that, as bad as I felt, this was a mild case because botulism can be fatal or cause paralysis. On a side note, the gardener did end up getting part of the illness a bit belatedly and although obviously food poisoning, he wasn’t nearly as sick as I was.
At first, I felt stupid after I realized what I had done. But after talking to some people, WOW. None of them knew that you must take seafood out of the vacuum seal packaging to thaw!!!!!!!!!! Many of them either cook frozen fish or thaw it under water. I’m not advocating either of those cooking methods, but at least they didn’t let bacteria grow for hours and hours.
Bottom line: always take seafood out of vacuum seal packaging before thawing!!!! And let others know!!!!!
On a related note, when I called the store to talk to the lady about the salmon patties before I really had what happened locked down, she let me know there is a huge listeria recall right now on a wide range of brands, stores, and products—generally frozen foods that have chicken in them. I called my regular supermarket, and this is their stupid comment:
The minute we get word of a recall we pull all the products from our shelves. And when you go to ring up your groceries if something has been recalled it will show up as recalled on your receipt and on the screen.
HELP!!! I am finding it too hard to live among such illogical people. If they pull the food, how can I be paying for it?!
Also, the store knows every detail of everything I’ve ever purchased there, but they can’t EMAIL me? Good grief.
I know Food Safety has a very boring sound to it, but my goodness it’s as important as Road Safety and Workplace Safety.
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On the subject of illness (sorry), a nonfiction flash story I wrote about migraines was published by Libre, thanks to EIC Mary B. It’s a little brutal. My Avatar Lives My Life
If you have ever had migraines or know somebody who does, you might find some similarities.
The one thing that makes me feel better no matter what is going on: my kitties. Here’s Sloopy Anne!
OMG, that sounds dreadful. Thank you for the public service announcement—I had no idea. I always buy my fish fresh (the advantage of living on the coast), but nevertheless, this is good to know. Feel better! And Sloopy Anne is gorgeous! (Do you really call her that, or has it been shortened to Sloopy or Annie??)
That was one of my first thoughts, that people need the information! How crazy is this that nobody is letting the public know how dangerous those packages are. Obviously there would be more cases of food poisoning if it only took that (at least, I think so) so it’s likely that my salmon patties already had something in them. But I wouldn’t have gotten sick if I hadn’t left them in the package.
I call her Sloops for a nickname. The gardener calls her Sloopy. But when I’m being more formal I call her Sloopy Anne.
I do wonder how much of the supposedly fresh fish at Whole Foods, Frys,, etc. is truly fresh out here in AZ. Hard to trust anyone any more.
OMG, Luanne! WTF!!
This is a terrible story, and I feel so bad for you – who would have ever thought about thaw in package, don’t thaw in package!!
Ridiculous – should be a HUGE warning on package.
Thank goodness for the cats!!
Get rest. Revive. Restore.
Bless your heart – I’m sending love and hugs, my friend.
Yes, re a warning!!! I think the stores should warn, too, knowing that the packaging on different brands differs and nobody seems to offer a warning. I thought about talking to the butcher about it, but he’ll just say the frozen fish is not in his department. Thanks, Sheila. Hugs back at you!
Serendipity to see your Avatar piece as I’m coming off of a migraine. Not as terrible as yours though. I still fantasize about drilling a hole in my right temple to let out the evil spirits.
And thanks for the info about vacuum sealed food—I didn’t know that.
Oh Ellen, I’m so sorry! They are just the worst. The weird thing about mine is that when I was younger they were regular migraines and NEVER diagnosed. Then all of a sudden they changed to this weird thing they believe is two migraines at once. Definitely includes vestibular migraine. I so understand about the hole drilling. My brother, in light of all the recent medical stuff, said he was calling a witch doctor to remove the bad spell!
Yikes! I had no idea! I’m so sorry you were so sick, Luanne. I’m glad you and your husband are feeling better. And yes, kitties always help. Hugs! 💙
Thank you, Merril! What a waste of a weekend :/.
You’re welcome, Luanne. I’m glad that’s all it was!
Oh, how awful–hurray for Sloopy Anne!
The cats are the best!!!! Hope you and Guy are hanging in there, Joy!
I didn’t know this. I’m not a big seafood person and I usually buy fresh except for shrimp. I haven’t seen any seafood in vacuum packaging here. Not yet at least. Hoping you are soon back to your old self….and Sloopy Anne is gorgeous.
Sloops says thank you!!! No vacuum packaging? Wow! We have tons of it. Also, Costco and Sam’s Club are big on that, too. YOu are so lucky to have fresh fish.
I haven’t looked for a lot of fish either.
Wow.. thank you for the heads up… most kind of you to turn your yuck experience into a learning opportunity for others.
Annette, you are welcome. I am shocked that this is something so important and “nobody” knows about it because they haven’t clearly shared this info!!!!
Wow. I didn’t know that. I do know that over a year ago, I got food poisoning from fish – it was a rare bacteria that occurs in farmed fish. Took 12 days and heavy duty antibiotics to stop the trots.
Oh gosh, horrible! I’m so sorry that happened to you!!! I’m glad they were able to figure out what it was and give you the right antibiotic!!! I imagine you think twice when you eat fish now.
That was a close call, Luanne. Thanks for putting the info out there. So glad you’re okay.
Thank you, Anneli!!! I really hope this post saves some people from getting sick!
I buy tilapia loins from Costco and run them under warm water. Then I cut open the pack and cut the fish. I cook it immediately. I’ve never had a single problem. I’m so sorry you got so sick. I’ve never had issues with frozen fish. The FDA has so many issues. Lots of the guardrails were removed when Felonious 45 was in control. Congress can fix these problems, but they refuse. Oh yeah, the Repubs control Congress. 🤦🏼♀️ Get well soon, Luanne. 💕
Ugh! What a terrible experience you had!! But it’s also good to know to take the salmon out of its plastic before thawing it. Phil and I just had salmon thawed in the bag yesterday! Thank goodness we didn’t get sick.
Re: your migraine story — wow! — you nailed it. Your story has made me grateful all over again that my migraines have diminished in frequency and pain. If I could wave a magic wand, we would all be migraine free.
Good heavens – how dreadful! I’m so glad you pulled through, and appreciate your public service announcement. Yet another reason I’m glad I gave up eating critters some years ago!
Very smart and very ethical. But food safety is a problem for vegetables, too. Look at the onion situation in the McDonald’s burgers, and they are often having outbreaks in various greens.
I’m sorry you got ill, Luanne. Those instructions should be clearly written on the package. So glad it wasn’t more severe. I have had food poisoning and know it is no fun.
How horrible, Luanne! Both the botulism and the migraines.
We do buy vacuum-packed fish and it states on the package to remove it before thawing, but I rarely do. Just soak in water for an hour. Maybe I’m just lucky or that short time is okay. But thanks so much for the warning and explanation!
What a salutary post. I hope you are better now
Yikes. Sorry you got sick but thankful that I now know! I had no idea, and I buy that from time to time. Adorable pic as well, what a cutie pie. Happy Halloween and hope you feel better soon.
We usually eat fresh fish, or packet frozen, but since reading this I have been telling all my friends. What an episode! I’ve had food poisoning a couple of times and can empathise with you. One time I was barely conscious even while being ill (okay I’ll stop with the detail now).
Luckily for me, I cannot empathise with your migraines, but I have had two friends with similar symptoms. In both cases they needed to rest in darkened rooms and have jabs to stop the extreme nausea that accompanied their attacks.
My goodness Luanne, I’m sorry to hear about this and glad it wasn’t any worse! We do sometimes defrost fish in the package – though it usually isn’t vacuum packed, if that makes a difference. Your story is very visceral – I’m fortunate to only get a migraine very rarely.
Yikes, I have always thawed my vacuum sealed Costco salmon in the fridge, still in the vacuum package. Thank you for this heads up.
You have hit a vein of lack of information on frozen fish prep. How are we to know such things unless we are told? Which I will do: tell my husband the cook. TY for letting us learn from your awful experience.
Ick … I hope you are feeling better now. Or maybe not. I imagine the election results would make you feel sick all over again. xoxoxox
Well, I am sure glad that I read your post, Luanne. I thaw salmon in the package too, all the time. I will not do that any more!
I don’t understand why they aren’t making this clear to consumers!!!! Thanks for stopping by, LuAnne.
Ugh…. I get Botox for migraines, I’ve never heard about this problem with fish tough… yikes.