U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
FDA Prime Connection

Advice on Consumption of Raw Molluscan Shellfish
 
 
 
 
 
ZDBDBDBDBDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDBDBDBDBD?
CDEDEDED4  F D A  P R I M E  C O N N E C T I O N    CDEDEDED4
CDEDEDEDEDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDEDEDEDED4
CDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDED4
CDEDEDEDEDADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADEDEDEDED4
CDEDEDED4       FISH NET CONFERENCE BULLETINS       CDEDEDED4
@DADADADADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDADADADADY
FN93-01          ADVICE ON CONSUMPTION OF RAW        02/10/93
                      MOLLUSCAN SHELLFISH
 
 
    FDA has received inquiries about the safety of eating raw
molluscan shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels.
 
    Any animal protein consumed raw or partially cooked carries a
higher potential for causing illness than food that is thoroughly
cooked.  Most illnesses that result in the general population from
eating raw or partially cooked molluscan shellfish are not
life-threatening and commonly range from mild intestinal disorders
to acute gastroenteritis.  Although more serious illnesses can
occur, they are rare in otherwise healthy individuals.  The main
sources of all of these illnesses are bacteria and viruses that are
present in  water due to human pollution.
 
    On the other hand, individuals whose immune systems are
compromised should not eat raw or partially cooked molluscan
shellfish at all.  These people are susceptible to far more serious
illnesses that are caused by naturally occurring marine bacteria
from the Vibrio species, particularly Vibrio vulnificus.  These
bacteria are unrelated to human pollution.  In susceptible people,
they can cause serious illness and even death.
 
    Immune compromised individuals include those with liver
disease, including cirrhosis, hemochromatosis and disease caused by
chronic alcohol abuse; diabetes mellitus; immune disorders,
including advanced stages of infection with the AIDS virus, cancer
and reduced immunity due to steroid or immunosuppressant therapy;
and gastrointestinal disorders, including previous gastric surgery
and low gastric acid (for example, from antacid use or
achlorhydria).  People unsure of their medical status should
consult their physician before consuming raw or partially cooked
shellfish.
 
    FDA has developed brochures for these individuals that provide
advice about raw shellfish and related matters.  They are available
through the FDA Seafood Hotline, at 1-800-FDA-4010 (////////////*
in the Washington, D.C., area), or from public affairs specialists
in FDA district offices throughout the United States.
 
    Vibrio vulnificus and other kinds of Vibrio bacteria are often
found in estuaries.  FDA is conducting research to discover more
about them and how to control their presence in molluscan
shellfish.
 
    Potential sources of illnesses related to human pollution are
better understood.  FDA cooperates with federal and state public
health officials and the shellfish industry in the National
Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) to maintain and improve
shellfish safety.  Among other activities, NSSP establishes
procedures for monitoring bodies of water for signs of pollution
and closing them to shellfish harvesting when appropriate.
 
 
                                ###