Products and processing 
Oysters are marketed fresh in the shell or in various 
forms after the meat has been removed by a process called 
shucking. Oyster meats are sold fresh (raw), frozen (plain 
or breaded), and canned. 
Raw oysters must be shucked by hand, a slow and diffi- 
cult process. Hand shucking has been used for many centur- 
ies and is still the predominant method in use. The 
shucker inserts a knife into the oyster and cuts the muscle 
attached to the shell. The shucked oysters are then graded 
by size, cleaned, and packed for sale. Oysters may also 
be shucked by steaming open the shell which allows the meat 
to be easily removed and prepared for canning. Meats from 
the steamed oysters are of no use on the fresh market and 
are primarily used in soups, chowders, and stews. 
Markets 
Oysters are distributed evenly throughout the Nation, 
with oysters in the shell marketed mainly in the coastal 
States. In some cases shucked oysters are placed on half 
shells and sold as fresh opened oysters. 
Oyster consumption is greatest during September to 
April, when most of the catch is landed. This reflects the 
fact that oysters are chiefly consumed fresh and that many 
believe oysters are unsafe to eat in other months. 
Oyster imports have increased greatly since 1955 when 
about 1.4 million pounds of meat worth $686 thousand were 
imported. By 1973, imports had grown to 18.5 million 
pounds, valued at $12.6 million, and accounted for 29 per- 
cent of the oysters consumed in the United States. (See 
table 2). Canned oysters make up the bulk of the imports. 
The United States does not export a large amount of 
oysters. 
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