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Seafood Safety
 While
Colorado may not be located near the ocean, fresh seafood is
readily available for purchase at several grocery stores and
markets throughout the state.
As a consumer, it is important to follow these seafood
safety tips to ensure that you will be serving the safest
product at your dinner table.
Purchasing
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When buying seafood, always buy from a
reputable dealer. Ask to see certified product tags if you
have any suspicions about the seafood.
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“Fresh” refers to the fact that the
seafood has not been frozen; make sure to check the
freshness by smelling, looking at, and touching the
product if you are able.
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Be careful when purchasing raw
shellfish—make sure they are alive! Oysters, clams, and
mussels that are alive have tightly closed shells or will
close their shells when tapped. Crabs, crayfish, and
lobsters that are alive will move their legs.
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FRESH SEAFOOD SHOULD ALWAYS BE MAINTAINED AT 41º F OR
LOWER AND FEEL COLD TO THE TOUCH, NOT COOL. |
Storage
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All seafood should be stored in your refrigerator
immediately after purchase at a temperature of 41º F or
lower.
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Fresh seafood should be stored in airtight containers or
wrapped in “cling wrap.”
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Do not store live shellfish in saltwater, as it will
shorten their lifespan; do not store live shellfish in freshwater, as this will kill them.
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Store Live shellfish, lobsters, and crabs in a
well-ventilated container, covered with a damp cloth.
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Keep frozen seafood frozen until you are ready to use it.
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Refrigerate leftovers and use within 2-3 days.
Preparation
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Always separate raw seafood and cooked seafood when
cooking to avoid cross-contamination.
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Wash, rinse, and sanitize all knives, cutting boards, and
surfaces that have come in contact with raw seafood or
shellfish.
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Cook all seafood to an internal temperature of
145º F.
Mercury Contamination
 Women and men of reproductive age,
pregnant women, and children should follow the recommended
fish consumption guidelines below to reduce their exposure to
and risk of mercury contamination when eating seafood:
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fishadvice/advice.html
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Minnesota Department of Health
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/index.html
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US FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
Consumer Advisory
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg.html
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California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA)
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish.html
For Public Health fact sheets on seafood safety:
For more general information about seafood safety:
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Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William
and Mary
http://www.vims.edu/adv/seafood/safety.htm
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Seafood Information Network, University of California-Davis
http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/
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