Searching for Paralytic Toxin, Tetrodotoxin, in Swedish Bivalve Shellfish

TL;DR

This study searched for the paralytic toxin TTX in bivalve shellfish from Sweden but found no detectable levels, suggesting it may not be a current risk there.

Contribution

The study provides the first evidence of TTX absence in Swedish bivalves, contributing to regional seafood safety assessments.

Findings

No TTX was detected in 264 bivalve samples from the Swedish west coast in 2019 and 2021.

Seawater temperature above 15°C may influence TTX accumulation, but no such levels were observed in the study area.

The absence of TTX in Swedish bivalves suggests it may not be a widespread issue in these waters at this time.

Abstract

Tetrodotoxin (TTX), earlier known as a tropical paralytic neurotoxin from pufferfish poisoning, has increasingly been occurring in edible marine species, including filter-feeding bivalves, from relatively cold marine waters of some European countries. The defined conditions that promote the production of TTX, its origin or the processes of its accumulation in seafood are still not clarified. Recent studies in temperate waters show, however, that the accumulation of quantifiable levels of TTX in bivalves appears to be influenced by seawater temperature (>15 °C), which indicates a seasonal occurrence at these latitudes. Uncertainties still remain regarding how seawater temperature interacts with other climate and environmental factors or organisms in the marine ecosystem to result in detectable levels of TTX in shellfish. Knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of TTX in the marine environment where the edible bivalves grow is important for maintaining seafood safety, as the toxin is heat-stable and remains potent even after cooking. Therefore, in this study, 264 bivalve samples collected in 2019 and 2021 from 17 sites along the Swedish west coast were analyzed with LC-MS/MS to search for TTX. The study explores the hypothesis of TTX presence in Swedish marine waters, outlines the sample screening strategy and objectives, and reports no evidence of TTX presence in Swedish bivalve shellfish (≥7.8 µg/kg) based on the analyzed samples and the time periods in which the studied samples were collected.

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