On August 4, 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration posted a 16-page booklet for consumers on "Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving It Safely" on their web site at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/seafsafe.pdf
The web version is available at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/seafsafe.html
The contents of "Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving it Safely" include:
- Nutrition and safety
- Shopping for seafood
- Storing seafood
- Recreational fish tips
- Preparing seafood
- Serving seafood
- Eating saw seafood
- Health notes (which includes identifying people at-risk for foodborne
illness: pregnant women, young children, older adults, persons whose immune
systems are compromised and persons who have decreased stomach acidity.
The booklet is attractively illustrated and gives a nice summary on fresh and frozen seafood handling and preparation. (Canned and dried fish products are not discussed.)
Scombrotoxin (histamine poisoning) and Listeriosis are mentioned, but the symptoms are not described; Vibrio vulnificus which can be fatal for at-risk consumers is omitted. For seafood and health educators, the following web sites provide supplemental information on the symptoms and diagnosis:
Scombrotoxin - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap38.html (Bad Bug Book - US FDA)
Listeriosis - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap6.html (Bad Bug Book - US FDA)
Vibrio vulnificus - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap10.html (Bad Bug Book - US FDA)
http://safeoysters.org/medical/symptoms.htm (SafeOysters.org - Georgia and California Sea Grant Programs)
Pamela Tom
University of California
Sea Grant Extension Program
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Aug 06 2006 - 23:57:47 PDT