{"id":15035,"date":"2019-09-30T05:39:28","date_gmt":"2019-09-30T10:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/?p=15035"},"modified":"2019-09-30T05:39:28","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T10:39:28","slug":"national-seafood-month-seafood-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/articles\/food-safety-news\/national-seafood-month-seafood-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"National Seafood Month and Seafood Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>October is National Seafood Month! Whether you prefer salmon, cod, shrimp, halibut, sole, crab, or oysters, remember, they\u2019re all delicious, sustainable and good for you.<br \/>\nNational #SeafoodMonth is a time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries, and following basic food safety tips for buying, preparing, and storing fish and shellfish &#8211; to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"media-credit-container alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1034px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-18748 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_035_shutterstock_1021135741.jpg\" alt=\"seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_035_shutterstock_1021135741.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_035_shutterstock_1021135741-225x150.jpg 225w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_035_shutterstock_1021135741-125x83.jpg 125w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_035_shutterstock_1021135741-768x512.jpg 768w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_035_shutterstock_1021135741-660x440.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/fresh-fish-seafood-arrangement-on-black-1021135741?src=6Gy_JAL881S8EF_sn0Kv_Q-1-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" >Image Source: Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>NOAA Fisheries and Sustainable Seafood<\/h3>\n<p>The seafood caught and farmed in the United States comes from some of the most sustainably managed fisheries in the world.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmfs.noaa.gov\/stories\/2017\/10\/national-seafood-month-2017.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >NOAA Fisheries<\/a>, which monitors and enforces marine fisheries within 4.4 million square miles and 95,000 coastland miles in the United States. They report U.S. fisheries are some of \u201cthe largest and most valuable in the world, supplying about a fifth of the seafood we eat in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"help-box\">\r\n<div class=\"help-title\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-right: 8px;\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/index_files\/food_safety_training_banner_icon.png\" alt=\"Food Safety Training\" width=\"39\" height=\"39\" align=\"absmiddle\" \/>Food Safety Training - SALE 10% OFF<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"help-link\"><a class=\"help-button\" title=\"More Info\/Enroll Now\" href=\"http:\/\/www.foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/food_service_safety_training_courses.html\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"nofollow\" >State Map<\/a><\/div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\r\n<div style=\"margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Learn about foodborne pathogens, cross contamination, cold and hot food safety, and best practices to prevent foodborne illness.<\/li>\r\n<li>Food Manager ANSI Certification: $99.00 - Valid in all States<\/li>\r\n<li>Food Handler Training: Only $7.00!<\/li>\r\n<li>10% OFF: Enter Promo Code \"train10off\" at Checkout<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p>Maintaining a safe seafood product requires caring for the product from the time it is caught until it is consumed; that responsibility doesn\u2019t end at the point of sale. Local, state and federal food safety regulations require that fishermen \u2013 just like others in the seafood supply chain \u2013 be aware of and use proper handling and storage practices to ensure a safe product.<br \/>\nTo learn more about seafood, check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fishwatch.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >FishWatch.gov<\/a>\u2014the nation&#8217;s database on sustainable seafood\u2014providing science-based facts on more than 100 marine species.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XBfGX8hsLN4\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Seafood Safe Cooking Temperatures<\/h3>\n<p>The USDA recommends that all seafood (fish and shellfish &#8211; i.e. clams, oysters, shrimp, crabs, and lobsters) be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145\u00b0F (62.8\u00b0C) &#8211; as measured with a food thermometer.<br \/>\nFish should be opaque (not translucent like when it\u2019s raw) and break easily into flakes when you nudge it with a fork.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"media-credit-container alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1034px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18750\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_min_safe_cooking_temperature_food_safety_001.jpg\" alt=\"seafood_min_safe_cooking_temperature_food_safety\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fish<\/strong> should be opaque (not translucent like when it\u2019s raw) and break easily into flakes when you nudge it with a fork.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shrimp<\/strong> turns pink and the flesh becomes white and firm. Boiling 1 pound of medium shrimp takes from 3 to 5 minutes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lobster<\/strong> turns red and the flesh becomes white. When boiling, allow 5 to 6 minutes per pound.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scallops<\/strong> turn milky white and firm. They cook in 3 to 4 minutes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clams, mussels, and oysters<\/strong> are done when their shells open. Throw out any that stay closed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shucked clams<\/strong> take from 2 to 5 minutes to cook, depending on size. Oysters cook in about 2 to 3 minutes and their edges will start to curl.<\/li>\n<li><strong>When using the microwave<\/strong>, rotate the dish several times to ensure even cooking. Follow manufacturer&#8217;s recommendations, including standing times.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leftover cooked seafood<\/strong> should be refrigerated as soon as possible and used within 1 or 2 days.<\/li>\n<li>If cold or hot seafood has been left out at temperatures between 40\u00b0F and 140\u00b0F for longer than 2 hours, discard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"media-credit-container alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1034px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-18749 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_013_shutterstock_373108435.jpg\" alt=\"seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/two-delicious-fillets-marinated-grilled-oven-373108435?src=94jREqpU1K7eoyICRjATaA-1-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" >Image Source: Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Selecting and Serving Seafood Safely<\/h3>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UFbY2aewd4w\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"head1_body\">Eating Fish: Pregnant Women and Young Children<\/h3>\n<p>The FDA and EPA have issued <strong>advice regarding eating fish<\/strong>. This advice is geared toward helping women who are pregnant or may become pregnant &#8211; as well as breastfeeding mothers and parents of young children &#8211; make informed choices when it comes to fish that is healthy and safe to eat.<br \/>\nFor women of childbearing age (about 16-49 years old), especially pregnant and breastfeeding women, and for parents and caregivers of young children.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Eat 2 to 3 servings of fish a week from the <\/strong><strong>\u201cBest Choice\u201d list <\/strong><strong>OR 1 serving from the <\/strong><strong>\u201cGood Choice\u201d list<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eat a variety of fish<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Serve 1 to 2 servings of fish a week to children<\/strong>, starting at age 2.<\/li>\n<li>If you eat fish caught by family or friends, <strong>check for fish advisories<\/strong>.\u00a0If there is no advisory, eat only one serving and no other fish that week.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/ResourcesForYou\/Consumers\/ucm536514.htm#note\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"nofollow\" ><strong>*<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/downloads\/Food\/ResourcesForYou\/Consumers\/UCM536321.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >this chart<\/a> to help you choose which fish to eat, and how often to eat them, based on their mercury levels. The &#8220;Best Choice&#8221; have the lowest levels of mercury.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-15038\" style=\"border: 1px solid #666;\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/FISH_CHART_1.10_letter.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"791\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Raw Seafood Dangers<\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s always best to cook seafood thoroughly to minimize the risk of foodborne illness. However, if you choose to eat raw fish anyway, one rule of thumb is to eat fish that has been previously frozen.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Some species of fish can contain parasites, and freezing will kill any parasites that may be present.<\/li>\n<li>However, be aware that freezing doesn&#8217;t kill <em>all<\/em> harmful microorganisms. That&#8217;s why the safest route is to cook your seafood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"media-credit-container alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1034px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18745 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_011_shutterstock_366833861.jpg\" alt=\"seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/sushi-set-sashimi-rolls-served-on-366833861?src=nNT1v4emU0jyMIex8y5DAw-1-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" >Image Source: Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Raw Shellfish Dangers<\/h3>\n<p>Shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) pose the greatest risk to be contaminated because they are filter feeders and become contaminated when their waters are polluted with raw sewage and bacteria.<br \/>\nOysters can be contaminated with a variety of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, norovirus, and Vibrio vulnificus and can put you at risk for infections.<br \/>\nThe FDA urges consumers to eat only fully cooked oysters \u2013 i.e., boiling them for for 3 to 5 minutes or steaming for 4 to 9 minutes.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"media-credit-container alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1034px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18747 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness_039_shutterstock_1082022191.jpg\" alt=\"raw_oysters_seafood_shellfish_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/oysters-half-shell-ice-lemon-wedges-1082022191?src=0ULr5rNVoB0LohW_YBPQFQ-1-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" >Image Source: Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Additional Seafood Sustainablitity and Safety Resources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>NOAA Fisheries<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmfs.noaa.gov\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >NOAA Fisheries<\/a> is responsible for the stewardship of the nation&#8217;s ocean resources and their habitat.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Monterey Bay Aquarium<\/strong> &#8211; The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.seafoodwatch.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Monterey Bay Aquarium&#8217;s Seafood Watch<\/a> program helps consumers and businesses make choices for a healthy ocean.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mercury in Seafood\u00a0 &#8211; <\/strong><a id=\"anch_77\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/ResourcesForYou\/Consumers\/ucm110591.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish<\/a> (FDA) &#8211; Advice for pregnant women (and those thinking about pregnancy), nursing mothers, and young children.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risks of Eating Raw Oysters &#8211; <\/strong><a id=\"anch_78\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/ResourcesForYou\/HealthEducators\/ucm085385.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Raw Oyster Myths<\/a> (FDA) &#8211; Hot sauce does not kill harmful bacteria in raw oysters; neither does alcohol. Get the facts behind the myths.<\/li>\n<li><a id=\"anch_79\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/ResourcesForYou\/HealthEducators\/ucm085365.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Raw Oysters Contaminated With <em>Vibrio vulnificus<\/em> Can Cause Illness and Death<\/a> (FDA) &#8211; Explains the risks associated with eating raw oysters and how to prevent serious illness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>General Information on Seafood &#8211; <\/strong><a id=\"anch_80\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/ResourcesForYou\/Consumers\/ucm077331.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving it Safely<\/a> (FDA) &#8211; How to handle seafood safely in order to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cooperative Program Ensures Safe Shellfish<\/strong> (FDA)<br \/>\nHow industry and government work together to keep shellfish safe.<br \/>\n<a id=\"anch_81\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/ForConsumers\/ConsumerUpdates\/ucm180442.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >See the slideshow<\/a> or <a id=\"anch_82\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/ForConsumers\/ConsumerUpdates\/ucm180996.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >read the article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Audience:<\/strong> Fishermen, seafood processors, packers, importers, and retailers, seafood safety inspectors, health professionals, and students interested in seafood careers \u2013 who are responsible for handling and keeping seafood products safe for customers.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>October is National Seafood Month! A great time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries, and following basic food safety tips for buying, preparing, and storing fish and shellfish &#8211; to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[124],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15035"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}