Food scientists looking at good and 

 bad effects of processing seafoods 



When it comes to seafood processors, government 

 agencies aren't just interested in what goes out 

 the drain pipe. They're also concerned about what 

 goes into the final seafood product, especially if 

 it's shellfish, a product which seems especially 

 prone to contamination. 



Heavy metals, like copper, cadmium and mer- 

 cury, are thought to be a major shellfish con- 

 taminant. But to date, it hasn't been determined 

 exactly how much heavy metal blue crabs, oysters, 

 clams and scallops contain, either before or after 

 they are processed. No one has yet determined 

 how much these contaminants increase or decrease 

 during processing. 



Likewise, little is known about how the number 

 of disease-producing bacteria and viruses and the 

 nutritional values of shellfish are affected by pro- 

 cessing. 



Dr. George Giddings and Dr. Marvin L. Speck, 

 N.C. State University food scientists, are seeking 

 to fill the gaps. 



With UNC Sea Grant support beginning this 

 month, Giddings will build on data he collected in 

 scallop plants last year under a UNC Marine 

 Science Council grant. He plans to survey clam, 

 oyster and blue crab plants in the coming year. 



Specifically he is looking to see what effect dif- 

 ferent aspects of processing have on levels of heavy 

 metals and nutrients in shellfish. 



Speck is concentrating on finding methods for 

 detecting disease-producing bacteria and viruses 

 in raw and processed seafoods. Part of his work is 

 aimed at finding how harmful microbes find their 

 way into seafoods, where they come from and what 

 alterations might be made in processing to reduce 

 them. 



With this information, Giddings and Speck will 

 be able to make recommendations on how pro- 

 cessors might make changes in their operations to 



reduce heavy metals and harmful microorganisms 

 and to conserve nutrients. In addition, their data 

 will be useful to agencies such as the federal Food 

 and Drug Administration which is intent on safe- 

 guarding consumers from hazardous substances in 

 fish and shellfish. 



Books and movies 



Following is a list of publications recently pro- 

 duced by UNC Sea Grant. Order yours by writing: 

 UNC Sea Grant, 1235 Burlington Labs, N.C. State 

 University, Raleigh, N.C. 27607. 



The Case of the Slippery Eel or How to Harvest, 

 Handle and Market Wild Eels. Berg, D. R., W. R. 

 Jones and G. L. Crow. UNC-SG-75-20. 



Coastal Development and Areas of Environ- 

 mental Concern. Baker, S. UNC-SG-75-18. 



Flow Dynamics of the Neuse River Estuary. 

 Knowles, C. E. UNC-SG-75-16. 



Hydrology and Circulation Patterns in the 

 Vicinity of Oregon Inlet and Roanoke Island, N.C. 

 Singer, J. J. and C. E. Knowles. UNC-SG-75-15. 



Development of Seafood Patties Utilizing Me- 

 chanically Separated Fish Tissue. Webb, N. B. 

 and F. B. Thomas. UNC-SG-75-03. 



Wood-Boat Maintenance: Decay and Its Pre- 

 vention. Produced by Oregon State University Ex- 

 tension Service and Sea Grant Marine Advisory 

 Program. Available from UNC Sea Grant. 



The Currituck Film. 16 mm color film, 23 

 minutes. Describes Currituck County's plan for 

 controlling growth. 



Waterbound: Our Changing Outer Banks. 16 

 mm color film, 21 minutes. Concerns erosion and 

 other coastal geologic forces and how man deals 



them. ^HHHHHHHHHHHHHHi 



University of North Carolina 

 Sea Grant Program 

 1235 Burlington Laboratories 

 North Carolina State University 

 Raleigh, N.C. 27607 



Second-class postage paid at Raleigh. 



N.C. 27611 



