Molluscan Shellfish

Food service sanitation managers and others who handle fish should be aware of the following critical food safety requirements and guidelines, particularly when dealing with molluscan fish. Molluscan fish are any edible species of fresh or frozen oysters, clams, mussels and scallops, or the edible portions thereof. (The term does not include scallop products that consist only of the shucked adductor muscle.)

Critical Food Safety Requirements

When purchasing molluscan shellfish, make sure –

• Shellfish are harvested from approved waters.
• Shellfish producers ship product using an approved source; consult the interstate certified shellfish shippers list.

When receiving molluscan shellfish, make sure –

• Shellfish are received from an approved source; consult the interstate certified shellfish shippers list.
• The receiving temperature is 50º F or below. Shucked shellfish must be 41º F or below.
• Containers bear legible source identification logs or labels.
• Harvester label/tag is present and contains the following information:
  • harvester’s identification number
  • date of harvesting
  • type and quantity of shellfish and the statement, “This tag required to be attached until container is empty or retagged and, thereafter, must be kept on file for 90 days.”
• Dealer’s label/tag is present and contains the following information:
  • dealer’s name, address and certification number
  • original shipper’s certification number, including abbreviation of state or country
  • list from the harvester’s tag, excluding the identification number
• Raw and frozen shucked shellfish arrive in nonreturnable packages, legibly bearing the name of the person who shucked and packed the product, his/her authorized certification number and the “sell by” date for packages less than ½ gallon or the date shucked for packages of ½ gallon or larger.

When preparing molluscan shellfish, make sure –

• Shellfish are not removed from the original container other than immediately before sale or preparation for service.

When keeping records, make sure –

• The source tags or labels are maintained at the retail establishment or 90 days from the date the container is emptied.

When maintaining a molluscan shellfish tank, make sure –

• A molluscan shellfish life support system is used only for display purposes (shellfish not offered for human consumption) unless a variance is applied for and granted by the regulatory authority (A HACCP – hazard analysis critical control point – plan would have to be submitted with the variance request.)

To learn more about foodborne illness and ways to prevent it, talk to your health care professional, your local health department or the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies.