Retail Seafood Cross-Contamination

Cross-Contamination

• Raw seafood to cooked seafood
• Equipment or utensils to cooked seafood
• Seafood handlers to cooked seafood
• The environment to cooked seafood

Illness Causing Bacteria and Viruses

Illness-causing bacteria and viruses are usually not a problem in raw seafoods. Normal cooking to an internal temperature of 140°F kills them. Bacteria and viruses can cause illness when they are present in seafoods consumed without cooking, or in cooked seafoods. Prevent cross-contamination through good sanitation, personal hygiene, and seafood handling practices.

Raw Seafood

1. Store cooked seafood on racks or shelves above raw seafood in refrigerated storage rooms. This prevents raw seafood liquids from dripping on cooked products. Do not store cases of raw or cooked seafoods on the floor.
2. Ideally, unpackaged raw and cooked seafoods should be in separate display cases. Alternatively, display raw and cooked seafoods in separate sections of the case. Physically separate the two sections.

Another acceptable solution is to store cooked seafoods at the front of the case and raw seafoods at the back. This prevents raw products from passing over and possibly dripping on cooked products. Physically separate raw and cooked seafood.

Equipment and Utensils

1. Store cooked seafoods in sanitary containers and not in containers used for raw seafoods.
2. Process seafood using sanitary knives and cutting boards. Clean and sanitize knives and boards between processing raw and cooked products, and between processing seafood and meat or poultry.
3. Empty seafood display cases daily and remove old ice. Clean and sanitize display cases and drains before adding fresh ice and restocking.
4. Display seafood on clean sanitary ice. Place seafood in pans, trays, bowls, or on plastic sheets rather than directly on the ice. Display cOntainers should allow liquids to drain.
5. Handle seafood in the display case with sanitary utensils or single-use sanitary materials. Use separate utensils for each raw and cooked product.
6. Place spiked price tags in garnish or ice, but not in seafood.
7. Store utensils in a sanitizing solution or inside the refrigerated display case at 29-32°F to minimize bacterial growth.
8. Keep the surface of the scale sanitary. Protect the scale by placing seafood on single-use paper or plastic material. Clean and sanitize scale if any food comes in contact with the surface.
9. Clean up spills with single-service towels. Do not use cleaning cloths or sponges which may contain unwanted bacteria.

Seafood Handlers

1. Wear a clean apron or coat. Clothing can spread unwanted bacteria to seafoods. Do not use apron or coat to clean or dry hands or utensils.
2. Wear a hair net or hat to keep hair from falling onto and contaminating seafoods. Hair contains millions of bacteria.
3. Always work with clean hands. Avoid touching your face, nose or clothing. Wash and sanitize hands between handling raw and cooked seafoods, between handling food and money, and whenever they touch anything other than sea food. Dry your hands with single-use paper towels.
4. Do not handle seafood if you have unprotected cuts or sores. Cuts and sores often contain illness-causing bacteria.
5. Handle raw and cooked seafoods with sanitary gloves. Do not handle raw and cooked products with the same gloves. Wash and sanitize your gloves every time they touch anything other than seafood.
6. Sneeze and cough into a tissue and away from seafood. Never chew gum, smoke, eat or drink while handling seafood.
7. Remove watches, rings and jewelry. Jewelry carries un-wanted bacteria.
8. Inform your supervisor if you are ill.

The Environment

1. Insects and flies carry illness causing bacteria. Keep insects and flies away from seafood.
2. Store garbage and processing wastes in sealed containers away from display areas.

Sources of Potential Illness Causing Microorganisms in Seafood

1. Microorganisms Naturally Present in Aquatic Environments

2. Microorganisms From Sewage Pollution of Aquatic Environments

3. Microorganisms From Seafood Handlers, Equipment, and the Environment

The author is Robert J. Price, Ph.D., Extension Seafood Technology Specialist Department of Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, California 95616

UCSGEP 90-6 August 1990

TThis work is sponsored in part by NOAA, National Sea Grant College Program, Department of Commerce, under grant number NA89AA-D-SG138, project number A/EA-1, through the California Sea Grant College Program, and in part by the California State Resources Agency. The U.S. Government may reproduce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes.