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What are the Dangers of Handling Raw Seafood?

Seafood can be an excellent source of high quality protein and essential nutrients. The January 2011 USDA dietary guidelines recommend that consumers eat at least two servings of seafood each week. Yet fish and shellfish can pose a health risk due to foodborne illnesses stemming from improper handling. Being aware of the dangers associated with the handling -- procuring, storing and preparing -- of raw seafood can help ensure the fish you eat is both healthy and safe.

  1. Poor Sanitation

    • Only buy seafood from a reputable source

      The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year one in six Americans gets sick from a foodborne illness. Foodborne illnesses are caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. As in other food industries, pathogen contamination of seafood can occur from unsanitary processing or preparation conditions such as dirty ice, unclean storage containers or unhygienic handlers. To ensure your fish is safe, only purchase seafood from reputable sellers and avoid any seafood market that doesn't appear clean.

    Temperature Abuse

    • Raw fish needs to be properly refrigerated from the time it leaves the water to the moment it is prepared for cooking or eating. Harmful bacteria thrive in temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Raw fish at a market needs be kept at or near 32 degrees to prevent spoiling. Market fish should be displayed on a fresh bed of ice or in a refrigerated case and should feel cold, not cool, to the touch. If you catch your own fish, clean and place it on ice as soon as possible. Scombrotoxin is an illness-causing toxin that can develop from improper refrigeration of certain raw fish including tuna and mahi mahi.

    Cross-contamination

    • Cross-contamination can occur when raw food is mixed with food that is ready-to-eat. Harmful bacteria like Salmonella -- named for its discoverer, Dr. Daniel Salmon, not the fish -- can possibly be spread in this fashion. To prevent this, make sure that juices from raw meats or seafood don't come into contact with cooked or ready-to-eat foods. When cutting or cooking raw fish, be sure to thoroughly clean all utensils and food preparation surfaces before using them for another food item. In your refrigerator, keep raw seafood in an area where it won't touch or drip on other foods.

    Considerations

    • Extra care needs to be taken with seafood that is to be consumed raw -- oysters in particular. The FDA recommends that groups especially susceptible to foodborne illness not eat raw seafood. This includes pregnant women, young children, elderly adults and people with compromised immune systems. While about 20 million Americans eat raw oysters annually without incident, some oysters may contain a naturally occurring bacterium known as Vibrio vulnificus. When ingested, Vibrio vulnificus has sometimes proven fatal. The FDA recommends fully cooking all oysters, especially those from warmer coastal regions, where Vibrio vulnificus thrives, such as the Gulf of Mexico.

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