Poisonous pfuffer roe has been processed as food by pickling in rice-bran chiefly in Ishikawa Prefecture.
We have studied periodically the change of toxicity of roe during processing and confirmed the hygienic security of the products.
The decrease of poison in roe to an edible state is proved to be effected by following factors.
1. Exuding of poison with juice separated by salting.
2. Averaging of poison among roes one another by diffusion both during salting and pickling in rice-bran. (This means the marked decrease of poison in especially intensively poisonous roes.)
3. Decrease of poison during pickling in rice-bran perhaps by microorganisms.
Among these factors 2 and 3 seem to be most effective. Moreover, strong salty taste of roe may be another factor to prevent the intoxication, as it does not allow one to lake so much roe as to arouse poisoning.
The pickled roe, which was sold at market, showed to contain some poison though slightly.
