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Pull down menu to see if your favorite seafood is at risk for Red Tide and other food poisoning.
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"Phisteria" is a mysterious single celled organism living in rivers and coastal waters which kills fish and attacks other aquatic animals. It produces compounds which can have adverse effects on humans and is perhaps the newest species to join the ranks of other toxic or harmful algae which are commonly associated with the phenomena we call "Red Tide." "Red Tide" is a term used to describe one of the many phenomena associated with harmful and toxic species of algae at the bottom of the marine food chain. When these toxic species multiply, they can have devastating affects on marine life and humans too. A "Red Tide" occurs when either natural or human factors cause a rapid increase in the production of these single-celled organisms (dinoflagellates), sometimes resulting in a reddish, brown color of sea water.
Toxins from the red tide algae in the water or in wind-blown ocean spray can irritate lungs, eyes, nose and throat and cause respiratory irritations. The toxins can enter the food chain when filter-feeding shellfish like clams and oysters ingest the algae and retain the toxins in their tissues. In 1994, 1,772 cases of illnesses from seafood were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However the CDC estimates about 33,035 cases actually occur every year. Seafood safety regulations require that seafood processors use preventive controls to keep unsafe products from reaching consumers. For instance, processors of raw molluscan shellfish (oysters, clams and mussels) must agree to accept only molluscan shellfish that have been harvested from approved waters. The FDA asserts that seafood consumption has many potential benefits, among them having little or no saturated fat and many contain small amounts of cholesterol for an animal origin. For additional information about seafood contact the FDA Seafood Hotline, 800 FDA-4010. | |||||||||||
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