VEGETARIAN cracker has been recalled ahead of concerns it could cause severe illness including convulsions, Queensland Health says.
Gluten-free Piranha Vege Crackers in 25g and 100g packs in various flavours was today voluntarily recalled by manufacturer Tixana Australia Pty Ltd after fears they contained unusually high levels of a naturally-occurring compound.
The recall is precautionary after a batch was found to be contaminated in Japan.
Queensland Health population health senior director Linda Selvey said people who had bought the crackers should destroy them or return them for a refund.
The crackers are made from the cassava plant, which contains cyanogenic glycosides - a compound which is dangerous if not broken down correctly.
"People who eat cassava prepare it in such a way that the compounds break down before you actually eat them and it would appear in this case that it hasn't been prepared in such a way,'' Dr Selvey said.
"Or maybe the batch of cassava they used had a lot more than they would normally have and so they didn't get rid of it all.''
Dr Selvey said the crackers could cause severe illness if eaten in moderate to large amounts, particularly for children.
"They might find they're having to breath pretty rapidly, it could cause their pulse to go quickly and maybe feel a bit dizzy, develop a headache, stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhoea,'' she said.
"And in severe cases mental confusion and twitching and convulsions.
"But as I said, to experience that you'd expect that people would have had to have had quite a lot.''
She said about three 100g packets in one sitting would make an adult sick, with smaller amounts for children and small adults.
It was not known whether particular batches were affected, but tests would be undertaken before the food was returned for sale, she said.
