m a r i n e advice 



Specialist Focuses on Seafood Safety 



Consumers are clearly more 

 concerned about the foods they eat. 

 Shoppers are asking more questions 

 about ingredients, nutrient content, 

 quality and safety. 



Joyce Taylor, Sea Grant's seafood 

 education specialist, says she's 

 fielding a barrage of questions at 

 workshops about the quality of our 

 coastal catch. In fact, quality and 

 safety have become such a concern for 

 the seafood industry and consumers 

 that Taylor is now focusing most of 

 her education efforts in that area. 



When asked about pollution and 

 the subsequent contamination of fish 

 and shellfish in North Carolina waters, 

 Taylor says species harvested along 

 Tar Heel shores get a clean bill of 

 health. 



Clams and oysters, however, could 

 pose a problem if they are taken from 

 waters closed to harvest because of 

 contamination from bacteria. But 

 consumers shouldn't worry if they 

 buy their clams and oysters from a 

 seafood dealer certified by the N.C. 

 Division of Shellfish Sanitation. 



A certified dealer can properly 

 document that shellfish are harvested 

 from non-contaminated, open waters, 

 thus assuring customers of the safety 

 of the product, Taylor says. 



Then comes the next question. 

 Can fish and shellfish be eaten raw? 



Taylor says she advises against 

 eating raw seafood. 



Shellfish, in particular, can carry 

 rare, but naturally occurring bacteria, 

 vibrio vulnificus, that can cause a 

 severe or potentially fatal infection in 

 people whose immune systems are 

 compromised by a variety of diseases 

 and prescribed drugs. 



Parasites pose a risk with raw 

 finfish and shellfish. But that risk can 

 be minimized if the fish is adequately 



frozen to destroy the parasites. 



In countries where raw fish is 

 served frequently, the fish are usually 

 frozen prior to preparation. And 

 Taylor urges U.S. consumers of sushi, 

 sashimi and ceviche to do the same. 



She says the fish should be held in the 

 freezer at -4 F for four to five days. 



Taylor says people who prepare 

 ceviche, raw fish steeped in lemon or 

 lime juice flavored with onions, 

 peppers and seasonings, mistakenly 

 think the marinade kills any parasites. 



"People think the marinade cooks 

 the fish," Taylor says. "It looks that 

 way. But it is not cooked." 



To ensure the safety of seafood, 

 Taylor recommends cooking the catch. 

 Any fish or shellfish should reach an 

 internal temperature of 145 F or be 

 cooked until it loses its translucence or 

 flakes easily. 



But no amount of cooking will 

 improve a poor quality or spoiled fish, 

 Taylor says. Use your nose and eyes 

 when buying seafood to ensure you 

 are getting the freshest product 

 possible. 



Don't expect, however, to be able 

 to detect seafood contaminated by 



pollution. No amount of sniffing, 

 looking or tasting can help consumers 

 determine if PCBs, dioxin, mercury, 

 bacteria or other pollutants are present 

 in fish and shellfish. Seafood that 

 tastes bad has been mishandled or has 

 spoiled. 



Taylor says she is frequently asked 

 by consumers how to handle seafood 

 safely at home. She offers these 

 recommendations: 



• Wash your hands frequently with 

 soap and water for at least 20 seconds 

 after going to the bathroom, before 

 starting food preparation, before 

 working with new food or new 

 utensils, after finishing food prepara- 

 tion and before serving food. 



• Prevent cross-contamination. 

 Never let raw seafood or other meats 

 come in contact with cooked seafood 

 or meat or any other food, raw or 

 cooked. 



• If you use a cloth for cleaning in 

 the kitchen, use a clean one after 

 working with raw seafood or meat. 

 You may find it easier to use paper 

 towels and dispose of them after each 

 cleaning. 



• Cut raw seafood on an acrylic 

 cutting board, never a wooden one. 

 Clean the board thoroughly after each 

 use. 



• Wash boards, counters and all 

 utensils with detergent and hot water 

 after each use. 



• Serve cooked seafood on clean 

 plates. Never put it back on the plate 

 with raw juices. 



• Refrigerate food as soon as 

 possible after cooking, always within 

 two hours. 



• Always thaw seafood in the 

 refrigerator or under cold running 

 water. Never thaw seafood at room 

 temperature. 



Kathy Hart 



20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993 



