A manager at the Wollongong Central food outlet said the store did not use the John Bull Tuna Chunky Style in sunflower oil which had been used at the Town Hall store, and was now the subject of a trade recall.

The tuna, which is imported from Thailand by a Victorian company, is mostly used as a catering product and is not generally available to the public.

‘‘We don’t use that brand of tuna - we use Ocean Delight tuna,’’ the Wollongong store manager said. ‘‘However we have taken all tuna products and salads off the menu for the time being just in case.’’

NSW Health confirmed on Friday that there were now seven suspected cases of scombroid fish poisoning. All had ordered tuna salad from the Soul Origin cafe near Town Hall station.

The first four customers became ill after eating tuna salad bought from the cafe on Monday.

They showed symptoms of scombroid poisoning, including skin rashes, dizziness, tingling in the mouth and nausea.

The NSW Food Authority recalled the John Bull tuna product following an investigation of the cafe, and confirmed on Friday it was still conducting its investigations. 

The cafe, which insists it meets the highest hygiene standards, says it has changed its brand of tuna since the customers fell ill. The NSW Food Authority says the cafe has stopped serving tinned tuna.

The Food Authority says the incorrect temperature at the storing or processing stage when the tuna were caught could have caused the fish to become toxic.

‘‘Scombroid poisoning has a rapid onset period of between a few minutes and a few hours, after consumption of contaminated fish,’’ said Dr Jeremy McAnulty, NSW Health director of health protection.

Victims typically recover after a few hours.

Scombroid was linked to the death last year of Queensland mother and daughter Noelene and Yvana Bischoff, just hours after they ate contaminated fish at a restaurant in Bali.

The Sydney cafe episode follows a hepatitis A scare involving frozen berries imported from China.