Hello Fresh fish poisoning: New details show how far and wide cases spread

Twenty-one people around New Zealand have become ill after eating spoilt fish from a Hello Fresh box. Photo / File

More details have been released about the people who suffered food poisoning after eating spoilt fish from Hello Fresh packages.

The latest figures available show that there are now 21 cases of histamine (scombroid) poisoning reported to various district health boards around the country.

The Ministry of Health said, as of Wednesday, the cases comprised nine people in the Capital and Coast DHB region, five from Waikato, five from Hutt Valley and two people within the MidCentral DHB region.

"More cases are possible, including in other DHBs, given the nationwide distribution of Hello Fresh," a spokeswoman said.

Hello Fresh, which provides meal-making kits for the public, called a consumer level recall of trevally fish fillets in some of their packages on Monday.

It came about after customers reported symptoms of histamine or scombroid poisoning.

The products identified were the HelloFresh brand trevally fillets (280g) and the 560g package.

Customers were advised not to eat any fish carrying the use-by dates of November 10, 11, 12 and November 13.

"The batches were delivered in Hello Fresh customer deliveries between 7 November and 11 November 2020.

"The product was sold online ... it was available throughout New Zealand."