If you’ve ever had doubts about whether supermarket sushi is safe to eat, how does supermarket blow fish sound? Known as fugu in Japan, this fish delicacy contains a potentially lethal dose of neurotoxin in its liver and has to be filleted by specially trained personnel. One supermarket in the Japanese city of Gamagori has just sold five packages of fugu fish with their livers still in place, prompting the authorities to issue an emergency warning to the citizens.
"We are calling for residents to avoid eating fugu, using Gamagori city’s emergency wireless system," a message broadcast over the city’s public address system.
A city official said that three of the dangerous packages have already been located and retrieved but the other two remain at large.
Fugu is one of Japan’s most notorious dishes as the fish, while considered a delicacy, contains a potent neurotoxin than can prove fatal if ingested. About 12 diners are killed by fugu each year in Japan, and while this may seem like a lot, it’s actually less per capita than the number of people killed by eating raw oysters in the US.