By choosing your seafood more wisely, you can help stop overfishing. Being informed will help you find great-tasting seafood without getting an endangered species on your plate.

Also, the safe handling of seafood is essential to reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Follow basic food safety tips for buying, preparing, and storing fish and shellfish — so you and your family can safely enjoy the fine taste and good nutrition of seafood.

Follow basic food safety tips for buying, preparing, and storing fish and shellfish — and you and your family can safely enjoy the fine taste and good nutrition of seafood.

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Selecting Safe Seafood

Fresh Fish and Shrimp
Only buy fish that is refrigerated or displayed on a thick bed of fresh ice that is not melting (preferably in a case or under some type of cover).

• Fish should smell fresh and mild, not fishy, sour, or ammonia-like.
• A fish’s eyes should be clear and bulge a little.
• Whole fish and fillets should have firm, shiny flesh and bright red gills free from milky slime.
• The flesh should spring back when pressed.
• Fish fillets should display no discoloration, darkening or drying around the edges.
• Shrimp flesh should be translucent and shiny with little or no odor.
• Some refrigerated seafood may have time/temperature indicators on their packaging, which show if the product has been stored at the proper temperature.  Always check the indicators when they are present and only buy the seafood if the indicator shows that the product is safe to eat.

Frozen Seafood
Frozen seafood can spoil if the fish thaws during transport and is left at warm temperatures for too long.

• Don’t buy frozen seafood if its package is open, torn, or crushed on the edges.
• Avoid packages that are positioned above the “frost line” or top of the freezer case.
• Avoid packages with signs of frost or ice crystals

Shellfish

Follow these general guidelines for safely selecting shellfish:

• Look for the label: Look for tags on sacks or containers of live shellfish (in the shell) and labels on containers or packages of shucked shellfish.  These tags and labels contain specific information about the product, including the processor’s certification number.  This means that the shellfish were harvested and processed in accordance with national shellfish safety controls.
• Discard Cracked/Broken Ones: Throw away clams, oysters, and mussels if their shells are cracked or broken.
• Do a “Tap Test”: Live clams, oysters, and mussels will close up when the shell is tapped. If they don’t close when tapped, do not select them.
• Check for Leg Movement: Live crabs and lobsters should show some leg movement. They spoil rapidly after death, so only live crabs and lobsters should be selected and prepared.

Store Properly

Put seafood on ice or in the refrigerator or freezer soon after buying it. If seafood will be used within 2 days after purchase, store it in the refrigerator. Otherwise, wrap it tightly in plastic, foil, or moisture-proof paper and store it in the freezer.

Avoid Cross-Contamination: Separate for Safety

When preparing fresh or thawed seafood, it’s important to prevent bacteria from the raw seafood from spreading to ready-to-eat food. Take these steps to avoid cross-contamination:

• When buying unpackaged cooked seafood, make sure it is physically separated from raw seafood.  It should be in its own display case or separated from raw product by dividers.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after handling any raw food.
• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with soap and hot water between the preparation of raw foods, such as seafood, and the preparation of cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

Prepare Safely

Thawing

• Thaw frozen seafood gradually by placing it in the refrigerator overnight. If you have to thaw seafood quickly, either seal it in a plastic bag and immerse it in cold water or — if the food will be cooked immediately thereafter — microwave it on the “defrost” setting and stop the defrost cycle while the fish is still icy but pliable.

Cooking
Most seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145ºF.  If you don’t have a food thermometer, there are other ways to determine whether seafood is done.

• Fish: The flesh should be opaque and separate easily with a fork.
• Shrimp and Lobster: The flesh becomes pearly and opaque.
• Scallops: The flesh turns opaque and firm.
• Clams, Mussels, and Oysters: The shells open during cooking — throw out ones that don’t open.

Uncooked spoiled seafood can have an ammonia odor.  This odor becomes stronger after cooking.  If you smell an ammonia odor in raw or cooked seafood, do not eat it.

Serving

Follow these serving guidelines once your seafood is cooked and ready to be enjoyed.

• Never leave seafood or other perishable food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90ºF. Bacteria that can cause illness grow quickly at warm temperatures (between 40ºF and 140ºF).
• Carry picnic seafood in a cooler with a cold pack or ice. When possible, put the cooler in the shade and keep the lid closed as much of the time as you can.
• When it’s party time, keep hot seafood hot and cold seafood cold:
  • Divide hot party dishes containing seafood into smaller serving platters. Keep platters refrigerated until time to reheat them for serving.
  • Keep cold seafood on ice or serve it throughout the gathering from platters kept in the refrigerator.

Eating Raw Seafood – What You Need To Know

It’s always best to cook seafood thoroughly to minimize the risk of foodborne illness. However, if you choose to eat raw fish anyway, one rule of thumb is to eat fish that has been previously frozen.

• Some species of fish can contain parasites, and freezing will kill any parasites that may be present.
• However, be aware that freezing doesn’t kill all harmful microorganisms. That’s why the safest route is to cook your seafood.

Additional Seafood Safety Information

• Eating Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know
• FoodSafety.gov: Your Gateway to Federal Food Safety Information
• Food Safety for Moms-to-Be August 2005
• Vibrio Vulnificus Health Education Kit – Educational Campaign Warning the Hispanic Community About the Risks of Eating Raw Oysters March 2004

While many people enjoy fresh raw oysters – raw shellfish (e.g. oysters, clams, mussels) can pose an increased risk to be contaminated  – as they are filter feeders and become contaminated when their waters are polluted with raw sewage and bacteria.

Oysters can be contaminated with a variety of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, norovirus, hepatitis A, and Vibrio vulnificus – which can put anyone at risk for infections.

August 5 is National Oyster Day! To ensure you’ll have shuckin’ good time – don’t gamble on your chances of getting sick with raw contaminated shellfish. Always eat cooked shellfish – i.e., by baking, grilling, or broiling.

Food Safety Training - 10% OFF Sale

More/Enroll

• Learn about foodborne hazards and pathogens, cross contamination, temperature controls, cleaning and sanitation methods, and the best practices to prevent foodborne illnesses.
• Food Manager ANSI Certification: SALE $99.00
• Food Handler ANSI Training for only $7.00!
• Enter Promo "train10off" at Checkout

Norovirus

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that can cause viral gastroenteritis, often called “food poisoning” or the “stomach flu.” Eating raw or partially cooked shellfish can cause norovirus infection.

Norovirus makes its way into the marine environment through untreated human sewage (poop) and vomit. This may come from leaky septic systems, faulty waste water treatment plants, boaters, or beach-goers. Shellfish are filter feeders, which means they filter seawater through their bodies to get food floating in the water. When norovirus particles are in the water, shellfish can accumulate the virus in their bodies.

Vibrio and Vibriosis

About a dozen Vibrio species can cause human illness, known as vibriosis. The most common species causing human illness in the U.S. are Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio alginolyticus.

The CDC estimates 80,000 people become sick with vibriosis, and 100 people die from their infection, in the United States every year. Most of these illnesses happen from May through October when water temperatures are warmer. However, you can get sick from eating raw or undercooked oysters during any month of the year, and raw oysters from typically colder waters also can cause vibriosis.

Remember, you can’t tell if a raw oyster contains Vibrio germs from the way it looks, smells, or tastes. Always make sure oysters are fully cooked to stay safe from food poisoning.

Most Vibrio infections from oysters, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, result in only diarrhea and vomiting.

However, people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection can get very sick. Some people can even get infected through an open wound when swimming or wading in brackish or salt water.

This is because the infection can result in bloodstream infections, severe blistering skin lesions, and limb amputations. If you develop symptoms of vibriosis, tell your medical provider if you recently ate or handled raw shellfish.

Anyone can get sick from vibriosis, but you may be more likely to get an infection or severe complications if you:

• Have liver disease, alcoholism, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia.
• Receive immune-suppressing therapy for the treatment of disease, such as for cancer.
• Have an iron overload disease, such as hemochromatosis.
• Take medicine to lower stomach acid levels, such as Nexium and Pepcid.
• Have had recent stomach surgery.

How can I stay safe?

Follow these tips to reduce your chances of getting an infection when eating or handling shellfish and other seafood:

• Don’t eat raw or undercooked oysters or other shellfish. Fully cook them before eating, and only order fully cooked oysters at restaurants. Hot sauce and lemon juice don’t kill Vibrio bacteria and neither does alcohol.
  • Some oysters are treated for safety after they are harvested. This treatment can reduce levels of vibrios in the oyster but it does not remove all harmful germs. People who are more likely to get vibriosis should not eat any raw oysters.
• Separate cooked seafood from raw seafood and its juices to avoid cross contamination.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after handing raw seafood.
• Cover any wounds if they could come into contact with raw seafood or raw seafood juices or with brackish or salt water.
• Wash open wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water if they have been exposed to seawater or raw seafood or its juices.

Safety Tips for Cooking Shellfish

Before cooking, throw out any shellfish with open shells.

For oysters in the shell, either:

• Boil until the shells open and continue boiling 3–5 more minutes, or
• Steam until the shells open and continue steaming for 4–9 more minutes.
• Only eat shellfish that open during cooking. Throw out shellfish that do not open fully after cooking.

For shucked oysters, either:

• Boil for at least 3 minutes or until edges curl;
• Fry for at least 3 minutes at 375°F;
• Broil 3 inches from heat for 3 minutes; or
• Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes.

Additional information

• Take a look at CDC’s questions and answers about Vibrio and vibriosis
• Listen to CDC podcast on the dangers of eating raw oysters
• Be food safe – learn how you can protect yourself from food poisoning
• Read more guidance on FoodSafety.gov for preventing Vibrio infections
• Learn more about aquaculture: http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/aquaculture/index.htm
• Learn more about Pacific and Eastern oysters from FishWatch: http://www.fishwatch.gov/profiles/search/oyster