Safe seafoods in Eastern

Seafood and Your Health
Nutritionists have known for decades that seafood is a low-fat source of top-quality protein, and that the health benefits of eating seafood make it one of the best choices for growing children, active adults, and the elderly. Recent studies show that eating seafood can decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity, and hypertension. The following information is brought to you by NOAA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Shopping for Seafood: Buying your seafood from a store that follows basic food handling rules helps ensure that the seafood you buy is of the highest quality and safe to eat. Use careful shopping sense when visiting the seafood counter and fish monger's stand, paying close attention to the overall cleanliness of the facility and condition of the fish. Use these simple steps to ensure the seafood you buy is the healthiest, highest quality product possible.
Selecting Fresh Fish
To be sure the safety of seafood is being properly preserved, only buy fish that is refrigerated or properly iced. Fish should be displayed on a thick bed of fresh ice that is not melting and preferably in a case or under some type of cover. Fish should be arranged with the bellies down so that the melting ice drains away from the fish, thus reducing the chances of spoilage.
· Fish should smell fresh and mild, not fishy, sour, or ammonia-like.
· A fish's eyes should be clear and bulge a little (except for a few naturally cloudy-eyed fish types, such as walleye pike).
· Whole fish and fillets should have firm, shiny flesh and bright red gills free of slime. Dull flesh could mean the fish is old. Note: Fish fillets that have been previously frozen may have lost some of their shine, but they are fine to eat.
· The flesh should spring back when pressed.
· Fish fillets should display no darkening or drying around the edges. They should have no green or yellowish discoloration and should not appear dry or mushy in any areas.
Why Freshness Counts: Healthwise, it is important to look for freshness when choosing seafood. In some species, if the catch has been left out in the sun too long or if the fish haven't been transported under proper refrigeration, toxins known as scombrotoxin, or histamine, can develop. Eating spoiled fish that have high levels of these toxins can cause illness.
The Frozen Section: How to select frozen fishToday, fresh catches can be processed and frozen immediately to very low temperatures - frequently, this takes place right on the fishing vessel. However, frozen seafood can spoil if the fish thaws during transport and is left at warm temperatures for too long. To help ensure that the frozen fish you're buying is safe, follow these guidelines:
· Don't buy frozen seafood if its package is open, torn, or crushed on the edges.
· Avoid packages that are positioned above the "frost line" or at the top of the freezer case in the store's freezer.
· If the package cover is transparent, look for signs of frost or ice crystals. These could mean the fish has been stored a long time or thawed and refrozen - in which case, choose another package.
Selecting Shellfish: Special guidelines The Food and Drug Administration requires shellfish harvesters and processors of oysters, clams, and mussels to put a tag on sacks or containers of live shellfish (in the shell), and a label on containers or packages of shucked shellfish. Tags and labels contain specific information about the product, including a certification number for the processor, which means that the shellfish were harvested and processed in accordance with national shellfish safety controls. Ask to see the tag or check the label when purchasing shellfish. In addition, follow these general guidelines:
· Discard Cracked/Broken Shellfish: Throw away clams, oysters, and mussels if their shells are cracked or broken.
· Do a "Tap Test": Live clams, oysters, and mussels will close up when the shell is tapped. If they don't close when tapped, do not select them.
· Check for Leg Movement: Live crabs and lobsters should show some leg movement. They spoil rapidly after death, so only live crabs and lobsters should be selected and prepared.
Source: NOAA, http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/seafood_and_health.htm
Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa