Health Canada is Reminding Canadians to Limit Consumption of Lobster Tomalley

Although not widely consumed, some people enjoy lobster tomalley as a delicacy. Health Canada is reminding Canadians who are consuming tomalley from lobsters that there may be natural toxins present in this organ. Tomalley is the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of lobster. It functions as the liver and pancreas and naturally filters out contaminants from the environment, including toxins associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Eating tomalley that contains PSP toxins may be harmful to your health. Past information collected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency suggests that there is a possibility for a very small number of lobsters to contain PSP toxins in the tomalley at levels high enough to represent a safety concern to consumers if the tomalley is eaten. Since PSP toxins are not normally found in lobster meat, there are no health concerns with eating fresh or canned lobster meat.

While there have been no confirmed cases of PSP from consuming lobster tomalley, Health Canada recommends that: Children not eat lobster tomalley. Adults restrict their consumption of lobster tomalley to no more than the amount from one cooked lobster per day.