With oyster season beginning October 15 in North Carolina, the State's Division of Marine Fisheries has released guidelines for consumers regarding shellfish consumption.
The following tips concerning to oysters and clams are from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries:
- Only purchase shellfish from reputable dealers, retailers, grocers, markets or restaurants. It is illegal for shellfish harvesters to sell directly to the public unless they are also certified shellfish dealers. These licensed dealers are inspected and required to keep shellfish under refrigeration and keep sanitation records.
- Ask to see the shellfish tag before you purchase. By law, the shellfish tag must be removed at the last point of sale and kept on file for tracking purposes, but consumers can always ask to see the tag to look at when the shellfish were harvested and what area they are from. For the best quality, shellfish should be consumed within seven days of harvest.
- Keep oysters and clams refrigerated until you are ready to cook and eat them. Shellfish need to be kept at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bacterial growth.
- Store shellfish away from other contaminants. Shellfish are living animals when you purchase them, so they can become contaminated by placing them on wet floors, splashing them with dirty water or dripping raw fish and other foods.
- Thoroughly wash shellfish prior to cooking. Remove all mud and dirt from the outside of the shellfish, using water and a stiff brush.
- Prior to cooking or raw consumption, discard any dead shellfish. Dead shellfish will have slightly gaping shells that will not close when tapped.
For more information about Vibrios, see the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ website at http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/diseases/vibrio.html.
source: North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Friday, October 11, 2013
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Study Suggests That Fried Fish Consumption May Be a Factor in Strokes
Researchers at Emory University’s School of Medicine are pointing a finger at fried fish as a key contributor in the cause of strokes in Americans living in the Southeastern part of the United States.
A study published in the Dec. 22 online issue of the journal Neurology finds people living in states commonly called the stroke belt eat more fried fish than people living in the rest of the country.
The stroke belt includes Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, as previous studies have shown people living in this region are more likely to die from a stroke than people living in other parts of the United States. Blacks are more affected than whites.
The study’s author, an Emory neurologist, says the type of fish is just as important as the preference to eating the fish when cooked fried.
“While all fish contain healthy omega-3 acids, the amount of these essential nutrients varies depending on the type of fish and the cooking methods,” says Fadi Nahab, MD, an assistant professor of neurology in Emory University School of Medicine and medical director of the stroke program at Emory University Hospital.
Previous studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel, may reduce the risk of stroke, and the American Heart Association recommends that people eat fish at least two times per week with an emphasis on fatty fish.
Nahab and his fellow researchers used existing data obtained from more than 21,000 people participating in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) project sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. http://regardsstudy.org
Study Details:
* Researchers assessed data from 21,675 people across the United States participating in the REGARDS study between Jan. 2003 and Oct. 2007. Participants were age 45 or older, with an average age of 65.
* Twenty-one percent of participants were from the “stroke buckle” – the coastal plain region of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia where stroke mortality rates are even higher than in the rest of the stroke belt. Thirty-four percent were from the rest of the stroke belt and 44 percent were from the other 40 contiguous states.
* Participants were interviewed by phone and then given an in-home physical examination. They answered questions about how often they ate oysters, shellfish, tuna, fried fish and other fish not fried.
* Fewer than one in four study participants consumed two or more servings of non-fried fish per week. Those in the stroke buckle were 11 percent less likely to meet the recommendations than those in the rest of the country. Those in the rest of the stroke belt were 17 percent less likely than those in the rest of the country.
* Blacks were more than three-and-a-half times more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish per week than whites, with an overall average of 0.96 servings per week of fried fish for blacks compared to 0.47 servings for whites. Those in the stroke belt were 32 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish than those in the rest of the country. People in the stroke buckle were 17 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish.
* Overall, those in the stroke belt ate an average of 0.68 servings of fried fish per week, compared to 0.64 in the stroke buckle and 0.62 in the rest of the country. For non-fried fish, those in the stroke belt ate an average of 1.45 servings per week, compared to 1.52 servings in the stroke buckle and 1.63 servings in the rest of the country.
source: Emory University press release
A study published in the Dec. 22 online issue of the journal Neurology finds people living in states commonly called the stroke belt eat more fried fish than people living in the rest of the country.
The stroke belt includes Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, as previous studies have shown people living in this region are more likely to die from a stroke than people living in other parts of the United States. Blacks are more affected than whites.
The study’s author, an Emory neurologist, says the type of fish is just as important as the preference to eating the fish when cooked fried.
“While all fish contain healthy omega-3 acids, the amount of these essential nutrients varies depending on the type of fish and the cooking methods,” says Fadi Nahab, MD, an assistant professor of neurology in Emory University School of Medicine and medical director of the stroke program at Emory University Hospital.
Previous studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel, may reduce the risk of stroke, and the American Heart Association recommends that people eat fish at least two times per week with an emphasis on fatty fish.
Nahab and his fellow researchers used existing data obtained from more than 21,000 people participating in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) project sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. http://regardsstudy.org
Study Details:
* Researchers assessed data from 21,675 people across the United States participating in the REGARDS study between Jan. 2003 and Oct. 2007. Participants were age 45 or older, with an average age of 65.
* Twenty-one percent of participants were from the “stroke buckle” – the coastal plain region of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia where stroke mortality rates are even higher than in the rest of the stroke belt. Thirty-four percent were from the rest of the stroke belt and 44 percent were from the other 40 contiguous states.
* Participants were interviewed by phone and then given an in-home physical examination. They answered questions about how often they ate oysters, shellfish, tuna, fried fish and other fish not fried.
* Fewer than one in four study participants consumed two or more servings of non-fried fish per week. Those in the stroke buckle were 11 percent less likely to meet the recommendations than those in the rest of the country. Those in the rest of the stroke belt were 17 percent less likely than those in the rest of the country.
* Blacks were more than three-and-a-half times more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish per week than whites, with an overall average of 0.96 servings per week of fried fish for blacks compared to 0.47 servings for whites. Those in the stroke belt were 32 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish than those in the rest of the country. People in the stroke buckle were 17 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish.
* Overall, those in the stroke belt ate an average of 0.68 servings of fried fish per week, compared to 0.64 in the stroke buckle and 0.62 in the rest of the country. For non-fried fish, those in the stroke belt ate an average of 1.45 servings per week, compared to 1.52 servings in the stroke buckle and 1.63 servings in the rest of the country.
source: Emory University press release
Monday, January 3, 2011
2009 Maine Red Tide Caused Commercial Fishery Disaster
On December 22, 2010, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke determined that the economic effects of closing shellfish fisheries in Maine in 2009 due to a harmful algal bloom, commonly referred to as red tide, caused a commercial fishery failure.
"The natural disaster, which forced the closing of shellfish beds to protect human health, hurt Maine's commercial shell fishermen and their families," said Locke. "Should Congress appropriate funds for disaster assistance, the Department of Commerce and NOAA will work with Maine to develop an effective program to provide assistance to the fishery."
In October 2009, Maine Governor John Baldacci requested the disaster determination in a letter to the Department of Commerce and provided information detailing how the disaster affected the softshell clam, blue mussel and mahogany quahog fisheries.
The closures due to the harmful algal bloom began in April of 2009 and resulted in closures of 97 percent of the fisheries at the peak. Some areas of the Maine coast were closed to shellfishing until late September. After reviewing this information, the Department of Commerce determined the natural resource disaster met the requirements of a commercial fishery failure under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
source: NOAA press release
"The natural disaster, which forced the closing of shellfish beds to protect human health, hurt Maine's commercial shell fishermen and their families," said Locke. "Should Congress appropriate funds for disaster assistance, the Department of Commerce and NOAA will work with Maine to develop an effective program to provide assistance to the fishery."
In October 2009, Maine Governor John Baldacci requested the disaster determination in a letter to the Department of Commerce and provided information detailing how the disaster affected the softshell clam, blue mussel and mahogany quahog fisheries.
The closures due to the harmful algal bloom began in April of 2009 and resulted in closures of 97 percent of the fisheries at the peak. Some areas of the Maine coast were closed to shellfishing until late September. After reviewing this information, the Department of Commerce determined the natural resource disaster met the requirements of a commercial fishery failure under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
source: NOAA press release
Monday, December 13, 2010
NRDC Study: FDA Underestimates Gulf Coast Residents Exposure to Carcinogens in Seafood
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| Shrimp |
A survey of Gulf Coast seafood consumption habits released by the Natural Resources Defense Council reveals that many Gulf residents are eating far more seafood, far more often, than the federal government has acknowledged, bringing seafood safety standards under renewed scrutiny.
Significant discrepancies between estimates by the Food and Drug Administration and reported consumption rates were found, in particular, with regard to shrimp consumption: on the low-end FDA’s estimates were 3.6 times too low, and on the high-end, actual consumption exceeded FDA estimates by more than 12-fold.
"It’s common knowledge that people in the Gulf love their seafood. When we think of food from the region we think of po-boys and gumbo, oyster bakes and jambalaya. Yet despite this, FDA has been setting safety standards for cancer-causing chemicals based on nationwide seafood consumption rates -- failing to take the uniqueness of the regional diet into consideration. And this is a problem, because it means that current FDA standards may also be failing to adequately protect many people in the Gulf," said Dr. Gina Solomon a senior scientist with NRDC. Additional comments by Dr. Solomon can be found in her blog post "It’s the Dose That Makes the Poison".
In June 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a protocol for determining safe levels for cancer-causing chemicals from oil (PAHs) in Gulf seafood. The protocol was guided by seafood consumption rates derived from national data, rather than from a Gulf Coast survey or other surveys of frequent fish consumers.
Based on this national data, FDA assumed that people eat just two meals of fish and one meal of shrimp per week, with no more than 3 ounces of shrimp per meal (approximately four jumbo shrimp).
The NRDC survey, released in December 2010, looked at the eating habits of 547 Gulf Coast residents living in counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The survey revealed that the rate of shrimp consumption in coastal communities significantly exceeded the estimates used by FDA to calculate a safe level of exposure to PAHs.
Actual consumption rates ranged from 3.6 to 12.1 times higher than FDA estimates. Some subpopulations, particularly Vietnamese-Americans, also reported appreciably higher seafood consumption rates across the board (fish, shrimp, oyster, crab), than other survey respondents and FDA estimates.
The NRDC survey, released in December 2010, looked at the eating habits of 547 Gulf Coast residents living in counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The survey revealed that the rate of shrimp consumption in coastal communities significantly exceeded the estimates used by FDA to calculate a safe level of exposure to PAHs.
Actual consumption rates ranged from 3.6 to 12.1 times higher than FDA estimates. Some subpopulations, particularly Vietnamese-Americans, also reported appreciably higher seafood consumption rates across the board (fish, shrimp, oyster, crab), than other survey respondents and FDA estimates.
Although the survey did not represent a random sample, the results are noteworthy in that they clearly show that a considerable portion of Gulf Coast residents eat substantially more seafood than reflected in FDA’s risk assessment.
In addition, many of survey respondents may be more vulnerable to contaminants in seafood than FDA accounted for due to smaller body weight: 60% reported that they weighed less than the weight estimate used by FDA to establish seafood safety, and more than 40% of respondents reported having children at home who eat seafood.
NRDC and Gulf groups remain concerned that when coupled with increased consumption rates, this can result in a significantly increased exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. And while the FDA has posted data that show very low levels of PAHs in seafood, flawed sampling procedures have led many experts to doubt the reliability of those results.
“Many Vietnamese-Americans in the Gulf eat seafood almost daily. We need to know that FDA is using strong guidelines that protect everyone in our community, not just the people who eat four jumbo shrimp a week,” said Jennifer Vu, co-coordinator of Mississippi Coalition for Vietnamese-American Fisherfolks and Families.
In August, nearly two dozen Gulf Coast groups and NRDC commented on FDA’s assumptions in a formal letter to the Agency saying that, in their judgment, these numbers significantly underestimate local seafood consumption.
In light of the NRDC survey results, 36 Gulf Coast groups along with NRDC have sent a letter to FDA calling on the agency to expedite the reassessment of the cut-off levels used for contaminants in Gulf seafood to assure that local dietary patterns and other vulnerabilities are incorporated, arguing that FDA’s current contaminant cut-offs routinely underestimate local seafood consumption and are inadequate to protect the health of local populations.
source: Natural Resources Defense Council
In addition, many of survey respondents may be more vulnerable to contaminants in seafood than FDA accounted for due to smaller body weight: 60% reported that they weighed less than the weight estimate used by FDA to establish seafood safety, and more than 40% of respondents reported having children at home who eat seafood.
NRDC and Gulf groups remain concerned that when coupled with increased consumption rates, this can result in a significantly increased exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. And while the FDA has posted data that show very low levels of PAHs in seafood, flawed sampling procedures have led many experts to doubt the reliability of those results.
“Many Vietnamese-Americans in the Gulf eat seafood almost daily. We need to know that FDA is using strong guidelines that protect everyone in our community, not just the people who eat four jumbo shrimp a week,” said Jennifer Vu, co-coordinator of Mississippi Coalition for Vietnamese-American Fisherfolks and Families.
In August, nearly two dozen Gulf Coast groups and NRDC commented on FDA’s assumptions in a formal letter to the Agency saying that, in their judgment, these numbers significantly underestimate local seafood consumption.
In light of the NRDC survey results, 36 Gulf Coast groups along with NRDC have sent a letter to FDA calling on the agency to expedite the reassessment of the cut-off levels used for contaminants in Gulf seafood to assure that local dietary patterns and other vulnerabilities are incorporated, arguing that FDA’s current contaminant cut-offs routinely underestimate local seafood consumption and are inadequate to protect the health of local populations.
source: Natural Resources Defense Council
Monday, June 14, 2010
SSA Calls on Australian Governments to Promote Seafood Consumption
Australian Governments have been urged to encourage greater consumption of seafood to avoid a looming "epidemic" of mental ill health and other brain disorders.
This follows a warning from the world’s foremost authorities in neuroscience and nutrition, meeting in London recently, that western nations will suffer "unthinkable health, social and fiscal consequences” unless they increase consumption of DHA, an Omega-3 oil found most abundantly in seafood.
Mr Ted Loveday, Managing Director of Seafood Services Australia (SSA), said Australian Governments should heed the message from the London meeting and encourage greater consumption of seafood.
"One of SSA’s tasks is to help make Australians aware of the vital contribution fish and other seafood makes to good health," Mr Loveday said. "Scientists at the London conference want a return to what they term ‘traditional fish and seafood consumption’ to improve human health.
According to the health expert, "Humans evolved with high levels of consumption of fish and other seafood, and today we still require many of the nutrients they contain," he said. "The Omega-3 oils, or ‘fish oils’, are the best known but seafood contains a package of very important nutrients, such as iodine, selenium, zinc, copper and iron, all important for good health, especially brain health."
This follows a warning from the world’s foremost authorities in neuroscience and nutrition, meeting in London recently, that western nations will suffer "unthinkable health, social and fiscal consequences” unless they increase consumption of DHA, an Omega-3 oil found most abundantly in seafood.
Mr Ted Loveday, Managing Director of Seafood Services Australia (SSA), said Australian Governments should heed the message from the London meeting and encourage greater consumption of seafood.
"One of SSA’s tasks is to help make Australians aware of the vital contribution fish and other seafood makes to good health," Mr Loveday said. "Scientists at the London conference want a return to what they term ‘traditional fish and seafood consumption’ to improve human health.
According to the health expert, "Humans evolved with high levels of consumption of fish and other seafood, and today we still require many of the nutrients they contain," he said. "The Omega-3 oils, or ‘fish oils’, are the best known but seafood contains a package of very important nutrients, such as iodine, selenium, zinc, copper and iron, all important for good health, especially brain health."
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Organizations Speak Out on Safety of Gulf of Mexico Seafood
As a precaution authorities closed federal fishing waters from the Mississippi River east to the panhandle of Florida for a ten day period, but fishing continues on the west side of the Mississippi River. The closure will be in effect for 10 days, from May 7, 2010, through 12:01 a.m., local time, May 17, 2010, unless conditions allow NOAA Fisheries Service to terminate it sooner. According to the FDA, fish and shellfish harvested from areas unaffected by the closures are considered safe to eat.
“Areas outside the closed area account for more than 2/3 of the Gulf Shrimp production. Seventy percent of the Gulf harvest remains untouched by the oil spill,” said David Veal, Executive Director of the American Shrimp Processors Association. “Hopefully the only impact on the industry will be a slight delay in the opening of the brown shrimp season.” The Gulf shrimp industry produces approximately 180 million of the 1.2 billion pounds of shrimp consumed in the United States.
According to government sources, the FDA, NOAA, EPA, state authorities in the regions affected by the recent oil spill and other authorities are monitoring the situation.
The FDA states that "Although crude oil has the potential to taint seafood with flavors and odors caused by exposure to hydrocarbon chemicals, the public should not be concerned about the safety of seafood in stores at this time. There is no reason to believe that any contaminated product has made its way to the market."
Federal and state officials have announced monitoring efforts for the waters from which Gulf coast seafood is harvested. NOAA has the authority to close Federal waters to commercial fishing and states have the authority to close waters within the state 3-mile limit. If adulterated seafood is found on the market, both the FDA and the states have the authority to seize such product and remove it from the food supply.
“Areas outside the closed area account for more than 2/3 of the Gulf Shrimp production. Seventy percent of the Gulf harvest remains untouched by the oil spill,” said David Veal, Executive Director of the American Shrimp Processors Association. “Hopefully the only impact on the industry will be a slight delay in the opening of the brown shrimp season.” The Gulf shrimp industry produces approximately 180 million of the 1.2 billion pounds of shrimp consumed in the United States.
According to government sources, the FDA, NOAA, EPA, state authorities in the regions affected by the recent oil spill and other authorities are monitoring the situation.
The FDA states that "Although crude oil has the potential to taint seafood with flavors and odors caused by exposure to hydrocarbon chemicals, the public should not be concerned about the safety of seafood in stores at this time. There is no reason to believe that any contaminated product has made its way to the market."
Federal and state officials have announced monitoring efforts for the waters from which Gulf coast seafood is harvested. NOAA has the authority to close Federal waters to commercial fishing and states have the authority to close waters within the state 3-mile limit. If adulterated seafood is found on the market, both the FDA and the states have the authority to seize such product and remove it from the food supply.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Louisiana Closes Fishing Areas and Oyster Beds
On April 30, 2010, the Louisiana departments of Health and Hospitals, and Wildlife and Fisheries, announced they will be closing select fishing areas and oyster harvesting beds as a precautionary response to the oil spill in the Gulf.
"I signed this emergency closure today as a proactive effort to prevent any oil-tainted fish, shrimp or crab from being caught and thus consumed," said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham.
The oyster closure order will take effect at sunset today, Friday, April 30, 2010. DHH and LDWF, the state's oyster harvesters and the Louisiana Oyster Task Force are cooperating to ensure the safety of oysters taken from areas currently not affected by the spill.
"Oysters that are still coming out of the many unaffected beds across the Louisiana coast are being watched closely," Dr. Guidry said. "All of the beds that remain open are safe."
Updates on any further closures or changes in the status of areas closed will be posted at emergency.louisiana.gov.
For more information, visit:
www.dhh.louisiana.gov.
www.wlf.louisiana.gov.
"I signed this emergency closure today as a proactive effort to prevent any oil-tainted fish, shrimp or crab from being caught and thus consumed," said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham.
The oyster closure order will take effect at sunset today, Friday, April 30, 2010. DHH and LDWF, the state's oyster harvesters and the Louisiana Oyster Task Force are cooperating to ensure the safety of oysters taken from areas currently not affected by the spill.
"Oysters that are still coming out of the many unaffected beds across the Louisiana coast are being watched closely," Dr. Guidry said. "All of the beds that remain open are safe."
Updates on any further closures or changes in the status of areas closed will be posted at emergency.louisiana.gov.
For more information, visit:
www.dhh.louisiana.gov.
www.wlf.louisiana.gov.
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