Monitoring and proper handling ensure seafood safety

Abstract

Addressing seafood safety concerns through research and technology transfer is a major objective of the California Sea Grant Extension Program. Currently a major emphasis of the Sea Grant Extension Program is educating the seafood industry about the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. Proper cooking destroys viruses, bacteria and parasites that can contaminate seafood. However, seafood may also contain natural toxins that are not destroyed by heat, such as the scombroid toxin formed by histamines in spoiled fresh albacore and other tunalike species. This paper provides an overview of seafood-borne illness; naturally occurring toxins in seafood; Sea Grant Extension efforts to assist the industry in complying with a new federal seafood safety regulation; and ongoing seafood safety projects.