Fish and shellfish are an integral component of a balanced diet, providing high-quality protein as well as essential vitamins and minerals. To ensure safe consumption, it’s essential that fresh seafood be properly stored and handled both at home or commercial establishments.

Seafood should always be stored cold and away from direct sunlight when not being eaten; this is particularly important with raw shellfish like oysters, clams, mussels and razor clams which could quickly spoil and become unsafe to eat otherwise.

To minimize this possibility, tightly wrap and store seafood on an ice tray in your refrigerator – this will slow down any harmful enzymes present at room temperature that might speed spoilage. Also be sure to keep seafood separate from other food in your fridge, and make sure any utensils or surfaces used with raw seafood have been thoroughly washed after handling them.

After properly storing seafood, make sure that it is thoroughly cooked before eating it. Seafood contains bacteria that can lead to foodborne illness; thus it’s essential that it is fully cooked in order to eradicate any potentially harmful organisms that might lurk beneath its surface.

Once cooked and left sitting out on your counter for more than two hours, any prepared seafood should be stored immediately to avoid bacteria growth that is twice as fast than usual every 20 minutes. Furthermore, it is advised that seafood be cooked shortly after purchase for optimal results.

When purchasing fresh seafood, it is wise to look for packaging with an expiry date stamp to give an indication of how long it can be stored safely before it starts going bad.

As with other fresh foods, seafood should be consumed within two days of purchase for optimal taste and texture. Doing this will guarantee maximum freshness!

If you must store seafood for more than 3 days, it is recommended that it is defrosted under refrigeration before using it, although you could also thaw it under running cold water. Refreezing once defrosted can lead to bacterial contamination of the product and should be avoided as much as possible.

If you have any inquiries or require assistance regarding the proper storage or handling of fresh seafood, don’t hesitate to contact us! Our knowledgeable staff is standing by and ready to provide all of your seafood needs with assistance – be it fresh or frozen options – from us today! Visit us!