Always cook seafood properly

Handling seafood safely helps to maintain quality and wholesomeness.

We all know that seafood is best when cooked and eaten as soon as possible after being taken from the water. But this does not mean seafood cannot be kept good and wholesome long after the catch.

Whether the fish or shellfish has been freshly caught or just bought, you must always take care to preserve its wholesomeness. To safely handle and maintain the quality of seafood, always follow these general guidelines:

• Keep seafood cold.

• Don’t cross contaminate (keep raw and cooked seafood separately).

• Know your seafood seller.

• Fish to be consumed raw should be frozen first (kills the parasites).

• Cook fish thoroughly.

• Buy and/or harvest raw shellfish carefully.

• Keep “live” shellfish “alive”.

• Refrigerate live shellfish properly.

All fresh or smoked seafood should be refrigerated at 32-40 degrees. The best way to thaw frozen seafood is under refrigeration (let it thaw-out in the refrigerator or on ice before using). Also, if you’re in a hurry, quick thawing can be done under cold running water if necessary. You should do it with the original wrapping intact. You should keep frozen seafood rigidly frozen until ready to use, stored in a freezer at zero degrees.

Always handle raw and cooked seafood products separately. Clean and sanitize the work space between the preparation and serving of seafood. Don’t allow raw and cooked seafood to come in contact with each other.

You should buy your fish and shellfish only from approved and licensed stores, markets, and fishermen.

If you plan on serving raw seafood dishes such as ceviche, sushi, or sashimi, freeze the fish first to kill any harmful parasites.

Fish is thoroughly cooked when it begins to flake and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Always cook seafood properly