Hey there, friends!
Have you heard about the latest effort to keep oysters safe to eat? Well, let me tell you all about it! Over in Ireland, a group called the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is working hard to make sure we don’t get sick from eating these yummy shellfish. They’ve shared some smart ideas on how to keep norovirus away from oysters. Norovirus isn’t fun—it can make you sick if you eat food or drink water that’s got tiny bits of stuff from sick people in it.
The reason oysters are important to watch is because they can soak up and hold onto norovirus. That’s a problem because many people like to eat oysters when they’re raw or not cooked a lot. If there’s norovirus in them, people can get really ill.
Lately, some folks in different parts of Europe got sick from eating oysters with this yucky virus. There were a couple of cases in Spain and Finland, where people got sick from eating oysters from France and Ireland. Some people in Italy even got sick from eating seaweed salad from China that had norovirus, and two people in Belgium felt bad after eating oysters from the Netherlands. Oh, and in February, some peeps in France and Spain also got ill from oysters. Ireland even found some different not-so-nice germs in mussels.
What does this all mean for oyster farms and companies? Well, the SFPA says they need to be really careful and take special steps to keep their oysters safe, especially when it’s cold outside. They’re told to use this cool system called HACCP to make sure their food is safe. This is like being a detective in a kitchen, finding out where the germs could come in and stopping them before they get to our plates.
Plus, the SFPA and some other groups put their heads together and gave out some tips on how to keep oysters safe. They also hosted a big meeting to talk about how to check that the places where oysters live are clean and healthy.
Now, only one lab in Ireland is testing oysters for norovirus right now, but that might change soon. They’re really hoping more labs will start helping out. The SFPA knows it’s important, so they’re sharing all they can about keeping things clean and how they check the water where oysters grow.
So, that’s the scoop! Always remember to eat safe and stay healthy. See ya next time for more food safety news!
P.S. Remember to steer clear of those recalls on some not-so-good food products, like cinnamon with lead in it or cheeses that may have Listeria. Keep an eye out for safer choices!
Take care,
Your friendly neighborhood food safety pal