Well, even so, one couple accidentally bought a Puffer fish and fried it up for lunch - and within no time flat, they were both dead.
CNN reported that an elderly couple has died after eating poisonous pufferfish in Malaysia, prompting an appeal from their daughter for stronger laws to prevent others from suffering the same fate.
Ng Chuan Sing and his wife Lim Siew Guan, both in their early 80s, unknowingly purchased at least two pufferfish from an online vendor on March 25, said authorities in the southern state of Johor.
The same day Lim fried the fish for lunch and began to experience “breathing difficulties and shivers,” authorities said. An hour after eating the meal, her husband Ng also started showing similar symptoms, they added.
The couple was rushed to hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit, and Lim was pronounced dead at 7p.m. local time.
Ng fell into a coma for eight days but his condition worsened and he died on Saturday morning, said the couple’s daughter, Ng Ai Lee, who gave a press conference at the couple’s home on Sunday before their funeral.
Ng demanded accountability for her parents’ death and for stronger laws in Malaysia, where at least 30 species of pufferfish are commonly found in surrounding waters.
“Those responsible for their deaths should be held accountable under the law and I hope the authorities will speed up investigations,” Ng said. “I also hope the Malaysian government will beef up enforcement and help to raise public awareness on pufferfish poisoning to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
Malaysian law prohibits the sale of poisonous and harmful food like pufferfish meat and the offense carries a fine of RM10,000 ($2,300) or a prison term of up to two years.
Skilled chefs can prepare Puffer fish.
Watch:
Would you eat it? I sure as heck wouldn’t.
According to local officials, regardless of the law, puffer fish are still sold at wet markets.
And what’s really scary is that once pufferfish have been cleaned and sold as slices, it is nearly impossible for the public to know the type of fish that they purchased.
