In recent years, grilled oysters have been all the rage in many places. Many people believe that seafood has less pollution and is highly nutritious, especially oysters, whose scientific name is Ostrea and are hailed as "the milk of the sea". However, numerous marine bulletins and research reports show that shellfish such as clams, razor clams, blood clams, and scallops are facing harm from heavy metals, red tides, and organic pollutants.
Experts point out that toxins from red tides, such as paralytic shellfish poisoning and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, accumulate in shellfish and directly affect the health of consumers. In addition, oysters are hiding places for bacteria and viruses like the Norovirus. If not cleaned or cooked properly, they can easily cause infectious diarrhea and enteritis.
Especially at the end of the year, dinners and gatherings are inevitable. But at this time, food safety issues are particularly worthy of attention.
What is Norovirus Diarrhea?
Norovirus is a group of viruses belonging to the Caliciviridae family, formerly known as "Norwalk-like viruses". Norovirus infection affects the stomach and intestines, causing gastroenteritis or "stomach flu". Currently, 60% to 80% of cases in all non-bacterial diarrhea outbreaks are caused by Norovirus. It is considered one of the main culprits for epidemic, non-bacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide and the largest viral factor for foodborne infections. It can infect people of all ages, especially the elderly, with the highest incidence rate in winter.
How to Eat Seafood Healthily?
To avoid the safety hazards of shellfish and enjoy delicious food with peace of mind, you must start from several aspects such as cleaning and cooking—
First, do not eat the internal organs. Pollutants like heavy metals tend to accumulate in the visceral mass of shellfish, while the muscle part has the lowest content of heavy metals. Therefore, you can only eat the muscle part of the shellfish. "Looking at the color" is a relatively simple method. After opening the shell, the slightly darker piece of meat is mostly the visceral mass. Some shellfish have a black sand line inside, which should also not be eaten.
Second, choose those with smooth shells. Compared to oysters and scallops with rough and bumpy exteriors, shellfish like razor clams and mussels have clean, smooth surfaces with less dirt attached, and consequently, less pollution.
Third, soak in salt water and heat thoroughly. Before cooking, first soak the shellfish in saltwater for a period of time. This helps them expel various toxins and sand. Then, carefully clean the surface of the shells with a small brush. The preferred cooking methods are steaming and boiling, as they can heat the shellfish thoroughly and kill bacteria. Grilling is not recommended because it can lead to uneven heating, with the outside cooked but the inside raw.