{"id":18338,"date":"2019-08-13T06:41:11","date_gmt":"2019-08-13T11:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/?p=18338"},"modified":"2019-08-13T06:41:11","modified_gmt":"2019-08-13T11:41:11","slug":"food-safety-for-national-catfish-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/articles\/food-safety-news\/food-safety-for-national-catfish-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Catfish Month &#8211; Seafood Safety Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thinking of catfish for dinner? Catfish, as with any seafood, requires certain safe handling to reducing the risk of foodborne illness.<br \/>\nLikewise, all seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145\u00baF &#8211; or appear opaque and separate easily with a fork when done.<\/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=\"size-full wp-image-19633\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0002_shutterstock_66788809.jpg\" alt=\"atfish_seafood_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>National Catfish Month &amp; The Catfish Institute (TCI)<\/h3>\n<p>Since 1984, August was designated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscatfish.com\/happy-national-catfish-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >National Catfish Month<\/a> to celebrate and appreciate the delicious, easy to cook, high in protein, versatile fish.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscatfish.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >The Catfish Institute (TCI)<\/a>, the Jackson-based marketing arm of the U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish industry, works throughout the year to promote the awareness and consumption of America\u2019s largest aquaculture product.<br \/>\nU.S. farm-raised catfish is consistently high quality and, unlike ocean-caught fish, is available all-year long at a price unaffected by external environmental conditions.<br \/>\nNinety-four percent of all U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is raised in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish industry in these four states employs employs nearly than 10,000 people and contributes more than $4 billion to each state\u2019s economy.<\/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<h3>Know Your Seafood \u2013 Make Informed Choices<\/h3>\n<p>By simply asking a few questions about whether a store or restaurant offers sustainable seafood, you can help shape demand for fish that has been caught or farmed in environmentally responsible ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Where is it from? (Domestic or imported \u2013 try to choose domestic).<\/li>\n<li>Is it farmed or wild?<\/li>\n<li>How is it farmed? (If you are buying farmed fish, when available, buy seafood raised in the U.S. in recirculating systems)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seafoodwatch.org\/seafood-recommendations\/groups\/catfish\/overview?q=Catfish&amp;t=catfish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Monterrey Bay Aquarium\u2019s Seafood Watch&#8217;s catfish recommendations<\/a> are:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>U.S. farmed catfish or blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay is a &#8220;Best Choice.&#8221; Say &#8220;No, thanks&#8221; to imported catfish (aka pangasius) except when it\u2019s eco-certified source recommended by Seafood Watch.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Most of the catfish eaten in the U.S. is imported, and unless you specifically ask for \u201cU.S. Farm-Raised Catfish,\u201d or see the official seal, you might be getting Asian-farmed catfish.<\/p>\n<h3>Making Better Seafood Choices: Seafood Watch<\/h3>\n<p>Likewise, this video from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.seafoodwatch.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Monterrey Bay Aquarium\u2019s Seafood Watch<\/a> program highlights why such questions are important and how you can help protect the ocean just by asking your local grocery store or restaurant if they serve sustainable seafood.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CoIuOcMfc50\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Selecting Safe Seafood<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Fresh Fish<br \/>\n<\/strong>Only buy fish that is refrigerated or displayed on a thick bed of fresh ice that is not melting (preferably in a case or under some type of cover).<br \/>\nChoose fresh catfish that is firm and white. If it\u2019s been sitting around in a display case for days, or frozen, it will likely have a fishy smell and taste. If it smells overwhelmingly fishy, it won\u2019t taste any better. If possible, find a local fisherman and buy freshly caught catfish. Farm raised catfish may taste less fishy as well because they are fed a controlled diet. Avoid catfish caught in extremely muddy water.<br \/>\nPut catfish on ice or in the refrigerator or freezer soon after buying it. If seafood will be used within <em>2 days after purchase, store it in the refrigerator<\/em>. Otherwise, wrap it tightly in plastic, foil, or moisture-proof paper and store it in the freezer.<\/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=\"size-full wp-image-19634\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0001_shutterstock_57524887.jpg\" alt=\"catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0001\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Frozen Seafood<\/strong><br \/>\nFrozen seafood can spoil if the fish thaws during transport and is left at warm temperatures for too long. Follow these tips when selecting frozen seafood:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t buy frozen seafood if its package is open, torn, or crushed on the edges.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid packages that are positioned above the \u201cfrost line\u201d or top of the freezer case.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid packages with signs of frost or ice crystals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UFbY2aewd4w\" width=\"713\" height=\"430\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Avoid Cross-Contamination: Separate for Safety<\/h3>\n<p>When preparing fresh or thawed seafood, it\u2019s important to prevent bacteria from the raw seafood from spreading to ready-to-eat food. Take these steps to avoid cross-contamination:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Wash your hands<\/strong> for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water <em>before<\/em> and <em>after<\/em> handling any raw food.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops<\/strong> with soap and hot water between the preparation of raw foods, such as seafood, and the preparation of cooked or ready-to-eat foods.<\/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=\"size-full wp-image-19635\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0010_shutterstock_484727794.jpg\" alt=\"catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Prepare Safely<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Thawing. <\/strong>Thaw frozen seafood gradually by placing it in the refrigerator overnight. If you have to thaw seafood quickly, either seal it in a plastic bag and immerse it in cold water or \u2014 if the food will be cooked immediately thereafter \u2014 microwave it on the \u201cdefrost\u201d setting and stop the defrost cycle while the fish is still icy but pliable.<br \/>\n<strong>Preparing. <\/strong>Remove the skin from the catfish using a sharp fillet knife. Fish skin increases the fishy taste and gives the catfish a dark appearance on one side after it is fried. Removing the skin decreases the fishy taste and makes the finished product more appealing.<br \/>\nLay the catfish fillets in a shallow container and cover with milk or buttermilk. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Milk can help reduce the fishy taste in catfish and other types of fish as well.<\/p>\n<h3>Cooking<\/h3>\n<p>Most seafood should be cooked to an <strong>internal temperature of 145\u00baF<\/strong>. \u00a0If you don\u2019t have a food thermometer, the flesh should be opaque and separate easily with a fork.<br \/>\n<strong>Frying.<\/strong> Dip both sides of the catfish fillets into a breader, such as yellow cornmeal, flour or seafood breader mix. Pre-season the breading mixture with any seasoning of your choice such as Cajun, blackened or seafood seasoning.<br \/>\nPlace the fish fillets in hot oil, either in a deep fryer or frying pan. The fish fillets are done when they turn a golden brown color. On average, this is 2 to 4 minutes on each side, if frying in a pan, or 3 to 6 minutes in a deep fryer.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19606 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/seafood_min_safe_cooking_temperature_food_safety_001.jpg\" alt=\"seafood_min_safe_cooking_temperature_food_safety\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Serving<\/h3>\n<p>Never leave seafood or other perishable food out of the refrigerator for <strong>more than 2 hours<\/strong> or for more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90\u00baF. Bacteria that can cause illness grow quickly at warm temperatures (between 40\u00baF and 140\u00baF).<\/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=\"size-full wp-image-19637\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0013_shutterstock_1338608987.jpg\" alt=\"catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0012_\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0013_shutterstock_1338608987.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0013_shutterstock_1338608987-225x150.jpg 225w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0013_shutterstock_1338608987-125x83.jpg 125w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0013_shutterstock_1338608987-768x512.jpg 768w, http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/catfish_seafood_food_safety_illness_0013_shutterstock_1338608987-660x440.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Additional Seafood Info<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"base\" data-ui-id=\"page-title-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1592536530\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=rightbrainmed-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1592536530&amp;linkId=e8daa578958a90147179dbb6f817f9c8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-17469\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/fishmonger-180x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"223\" height=\"279\" \/>The Fishmonger&#8217;s Apprentice: The Expert&#8217;s Guide to Selecting, Preparing, and Cooking a World of Seafood, Taught by the Masters<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span>In <em>The Fishmonger\u2019s Apprentice,<\/em> you get insider access to real life fishermen, wholesale markets, fish buyers, chefs, and other sources\u2014far away from the supermarket, and everywhere the fish go well before they make it to the table. This book is a handbook for enjoying fish and seafood\u2014from fishing line to filleting knife and beyond\u2014and gives you instructional content like no other book has before. Whether you&#8217;re a casual cook or devoted epicure, you&#8217;ll learn new ways to buy, prepare, serve, and savor all types of seafood<em>.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/FoodborneIllnessContaminants\/Metals\/ucm393070.htm\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"nofollow\" >Eating Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. farm-raised catfish is consistently high quality and, unlike ocean-caught fish, is available all-year long at a price unaffected by external environmental conditions. Catfish, as with any seafood though, requires certain safe handling to reducing the risk of foodborne illness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[79,247,124],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18338"}],"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=18338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcourses.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}