A five-minute primer on an issue making headlines
What is oilfish?
For some it's a tasty, oily fish, for others it's something that'll send you racing to the toilet. It's a big, deep-water member of the mackerel family, often caught as bycatch by tuna fishermen.
Why are we hearing so much about it now?
We've been eating oilfish in Hong Kong for years, but when 14 people complained to the Centre for Food Safety that 'codfish' they'd bought from ParknShop had caused diarrhoea, the centre went public. Since then, more than 100 complaints have been filed and radio call-in shows have been flooded with tales of listeners' run-ins with oilfish.
Is it edible?
The Italians and Japanese don't think so and have banned it, while the United States and Britain have warned consumers of its unpleasant side effects. In Australia, the government has warned that it should not be used for catering. The oily meat contains wax compounds that are difficult to digest and can result in particularly nasty oily diarrhoea in some people.