152 MAINE AGRICUI.TL-RAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I913. 



As a result of this investigation the following regulations 

 were adopted and sent to the fish dealers in the State relative 

 to the sale of opened clams : 



In accordance with the law regulating the sale of food I 

 hereby publish the following regulations concerning the sale of 

 opened clams : 



In the food standards fixed for Maine "Opened shellfish are 

 from unpolluted beds and are opened, packed and shipped un- 

 der sanitary conditions in sanitary containers without the addi- 

 tion of water or direct contact with ice." This means that 

 opened clams, oysters, scallops, etc., must not be in contact 

 with either water or ice. 



Opened clams must be sold drained and without any surplus 

 liquid. 



Clams that are opened raw must be drained. They may be 

 rinsed in water but must not remain in water more than one 

 minute. 



When it is desired to heat clams before they are opened they 

 may be immersed in hot water not more than two minutes. 

 They may then be immediately put into cold water for not more 

 than two minutes. The clams then should be opened, drained 

 and handled exactly the same as raw opened clams. 



Natural clam liquid or juice ma}^ be sold as such but cannot 

 be mixed with opened clams and the mixture sold as clams. 



The solids and liquids of clams are quite constant. Ry labor- 

 atory methods it is readily ascertained whether the above condi- 

 tions have been complied wdth. 



The above regulations do not apply to clams sold in the shell. 

 In some of the shore towns customers of the fish dealers desire 

 clams with the natural liquids. These can be readily accom- 

 modated by selling unopened clams and then afterwards open- 

 ing and delivering both the clams and the liquids. 



The results of the examination of clams on sale in Maine 

 are given in the table that follows. 



