My Road

When we were in Louisiana we enjoyed eating fresh seafood. We happened upon a restaurant that was popular with the locals. We were thrilled when we found out we had to wait to receive our dinner. Why would we be excited about waiting for our dinner? The boat was coming in from a fresh catch and we would be eating fresh shrimp right off the boat. That is what you call fresh.

Gulf oysters are available in Louisiana year-round and vary in size from season to season. Some folks are at risk when they eat seafood and they should know about how to stay safe when eating any type of fresh fish. Raw oysters can carry the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus which can be transmitted to humans if the oysters are eaten raw. The website www.beoysteraware.com has information about new technologies to ensure safer alternatives to traditional raw oysters for at-risk consumers.

Added safety features that reduce Vibrio vulnificus to non-detectable levels allow for at risk consumers to enjoy fresh oysters. More studies are being done and at this time there are three post-harvest processes existing on a commercial scale. I found the following information at the website:

Three post-harvest treatment processes currently exist on a commercial scale(1): individual quick-freezing (IQF), low heat pasteurization or heat-cool pasteurization (HCP), and high-hydrostatic pressure (HPP).

For more information on each process, check the website. There are other helpful features on the website such as educational information and recipes. Stay safe by knowing the symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus illness. Knowledge is power.