Fish and Seafood Safety: How to buy and cook it safely

Tips for Safely Buying Fish and Seafood:

• Only buy fish that is properly refrigerated (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Look for shiny and firm flesh with a fresh odor; do not purchase if separating from the bone or if there is an overly "fishy" odor.
• Avoid packages of frozen seafood containing ice crystals. This is a sign the seafood has previously thawed and been re-frozen.
• Pick out seafood toward the end of your shopping trip and ask to have it bagged separately from other groceries.

Once you get home, refrigerate or freeze your purchase immediately.

Tips for Storing Seafood:

Fresh Seafood

• Refrigerate seafood immediately below 40° F after buying. Wrap fresh seafood in cellophane or air-tight containers
• Store live clams, oysters, mussels, crabs, lobsters and crayfish in well ventilated containers and cover with a damp cloth or paper towel

Frozen Seafood

• Store frozen seafood immediately at 0° F after buying or until ready to use. Keep it in the original moisture and vapor-proof packages

Tips for Preparing Seafood:

Fresh Seafood

• Keep raw and cooked seafood separate to avoid cross-contamination.
• Use two separate cutting boards, one for raw seafood and the other for cooked seafood

Frozen Seafood

• Follow the same preparation techniques for frozen seafood as for raw seafood
• Prepare frozen seafood according to package directions.
• Defrost frozen seafood in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave--never on the counter

Cook fish until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork


This blog was adapted from an original article published by The American Dietetic Association website, Produced by ADA's Public Relations Team

BPA... Ever heard of this?

Recently I read an article about BPA, or Bisphenol A, which is a chemical used to make plastics and resins.

It is commonly used in the plastic lining on the inside of canned food products to help prevent the cans from corroding.

The punch line...

Studies have shown that BPA can leach into foods, especially foods that are highly acidic, such as tomatoes.

Consumer Reports published "Concern over Canned Foods: Our tests find wide range of BPA in soups, juice, and more." It tested 19 brand-named canned food items and found that most of them had "some" BPA in them.

The Environmental Protection Agency has set the current safe level of BPA at 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight...

So I am wondering... how much is initially in the can? How much is leached? What if you eat the whole can of tomatoes?

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) tested for BPA in the urine of 2,000 people and found that even though BPA was present, it was at levels a million times lower than the 'Okay' level.

What happens if you are exposed to too much BPA???

Lab animals who were exposed to high levels of BPA showed a decline in the potency of their reproductive organs. But of course this was at extreemly high levels of exposure.

In 2009, the FDA announced that is would launch a $30 million dollar BPA research program after it acknowledged that there is a "concern about the possible effects of BPA on brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants, and children."

As a food expert what should I say?

Tomatoes are really healthy. I want people who may not be able to buy fresh tomatoes year round to be able to get tomatoes in some form.

Remember from my article on antioxidants, Lycopene is easier for us to absorb after it has been processed.


Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, PhD, RD, nutrition consultant and ADA spokesperson states "unless someone is regularly eating incredible amounts of canned tomatoes, the evidence concerning BPA does not tell consumers they should exclude them from a healthful diet."

If you are still weary of eating canned (tomatoes) after this, you do have other options:

• Frozen
• Fresh
• Vegetables in glass jars

The original article was taken from the ADA Times, Winter 2010, volume 7, Issue 2.