SEAFOOD SAFETY
Food safety is pretty high on everyone's list of "things to be
aware of," especially in light of the food recalls and poisoning
scares that seem to happen all too frequently. The FDA (Food and
Drug Administration) is the primary federal agency responsible for
the inspection and safety of fish and seafood in the United States.
They ensure that products - imported or sold - are safe, wholesome
and not misbranded. Inspections, sampling and tests are done on a
regular basis.
From the harvesting of fish and seafood products from the sea to
retail stores, fish and seafood companies are governed by a complex
array of U.S. laws. Products not compliance are detained pending
resolution of problems. If FDA finds repeated problems, a shipper
or even an entire country may be put on a detention without
physical examination status known as "automatic detention" list or
"blocklisting". This means all shipments are detained under bond
until the shipper can prove, y laboratory testing at his expense,
that the product is safe and meets the U.S. laws.
But believe it or not, the ones you hear about on the TV news
aren't the most common — a good deal of food poisoning is caused
by improper food handling in home kitchens. Therefore we have put
together some helpful tips:
Safe Shopping
- Once bought - get it home fast.
- Never purchase packages that are torn or leaking.
- Don't buy foods past "sell–by" or expiration dates.
- Place seafood items in the shopping cart last, right before
checking out.
- Drive immediately home from the grocery store.
- If you live farther away than 30 minutes, bring a cooler with
for your seafood.
Safe Storage
- Refrigerate in the drawer or coldest section of your
refrigerator.
- Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance
thermometer. To slow bacterial growth, the refrigerator should be
at 40°F and the freezer at 0°F.
- Cook or freeze fresh fish within 2 days.
Safe Food
Preparation
- Keep everything clean!
- Wash hands before and after handling raw seafood.
- Sanitize cutting boards often in a solution of 1 teaspoon
chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water. Wash kitchen towels and
cloths often in hot water in washing machine.
- Marinate in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
Thaw Food
Safely
- Use the refrigerator as it allows slow, safe thawing. But
make sure thawing juices do not drip on other foods.
- Faster alternative: Cold Water: Place food in a leak-proof
plastic bag and submerge in cold tap water.
Make sure to check out our SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD GUIDE here!
