May 17 2008
Seafood Safety
Ah, lovely seafood!!! It is an excellent choice for health-conscious consumers and is high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, low in saturated fat, cooks quickly, and is available in a tremendous variety of species and forms. Tybee Island is proud to serve fresh seafood from Georgia waters, and there isn’t anything better. However, just like beef, pork and chicken, there are things you should know when handling, cooking and eating seafood.
Raw molluscan shellfish can contain a virus called vibrio vulnificus (VV) which is found naturally in warm coastal waters where bacteria levels are elevated during the summer months. VV is NOT a result of pollution and can be found in waters approved for shellfish harvesting. VV also does not change the appearance, taste, or odor of shellfish. You can also get the virus from swimming in the ocean.
If you get VV the symptoms of illness usually occur within 24-48 hours, and may include: fever/chills, skin lesions, stomach pain and nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and shock. If you have eaten shellfish and have any of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. VV rarely affects healthy individuals, though. Those more susceptible to seafood-related illnesses include those with:
*achlorhydria (low stomach acid) and other stomach problems
*alcoholism
*AIDS
*antacid therapy
*diabetes
*cancer (especially during chemotherapy)
*disorder of or weakened immune system
*hemochromatosis (blood disorder)
*kidney disease
*liver disease
*long-term steroid use (as for asthma and arthritis)
Here are the guidelines you should follow when handling/cooking and eating fresh seafood.
–Obtain seafood from safe and inspected sources. We have several places on and near the Island that sell quality, safe seafood: Tybee Market (IGA), Bowie’s, Lazaretto Creek Seafood and Turner Creek Seafood. If the seafood has a strong, unpleasant fishy odor, do not buy it. Good quality fresh seafood smells like an ocean breeze.
–Chill seafood as quickly as possible in the coldest part of the refrigerator. If you fish for your own seafood, put it in a cooler with ice as soon as possible after pulling it from the water. If you won’t use the seafood for a while, store it in the freezer.
–Be clean. Before preparing seafood wash hands thoroughly and be sure all utensils, surfaces, and plates you use are clean. After preparation, wash hands, utensils and surfaces with hot soapy water.
–Prevent cross contamination: keep raw seafood in separate containers, away from cooked seafood. Clean any cutting boards or counter tops with a disinfectant before preparing other foods on that surface.
–It’s best to cook seafood before eating it, although raw oysters, clams and mussels can be eaten providing you use safe measures. Pregnant women, infants, young children, the elderly and people with certain conditions are more susceptible to becoming ill from eating raw seafood (or meat, poultry or eggs, for that matter), and the conditions that make you more susceptible to foodborne illnesses are listed above.
These guidelines are not meant to keep you from eating and enjoying seafood; we just want to urge you to use the right measures when enjoying it.
Cooking tips:
-Cook live oysters or clams in small pots so those in the middle are cooked thoroughly.
-Boiling: after the shells open, boil live oysters or clams for another 3 minutes.
-Steaming: In a pot that is already steaming, cook live oysters or clams for another 4 minutes.
-Boil or simmer shucked oysters for at least 3 minutes, or until the edges curl.
-Fry schucked oysters at 375 degrees for at least 3 minutes.
-Broil shucked oysters 3 inches from heat for 3 minutes.
-Bake shucked oysters at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
Source: UGA Marine Extension Service and American Liver Foundation
