Seafood Quality and Safety

When we sit down to a seafood meal we all look forward to enjoying the subtle aroma and taste of fresh seafood.  Although the quality of the seafood we eat is important, whether we purchase it at the retail market or in a restaurant, our paramount expectation is that the food is also safe.  Florida Sea Grant, in keeping with the UF/IFAS theme of “Putting Florida FIRST” has established an internationally recognized program that has advanced Florida’s seafood industry through improved innovative research and seafood quality and safety training with an emphasis on helping wholesale businesses adopt effective Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and sanitation practices.  Locally, Monroe County Extension Services has helped to train 53 wholesale seafood business employees.

HACCP course material and relevant publications for establishing an approved HACCP and Sanitation Plan are available from the UF Bookstore.

The single most valuable source of electronic information on seafood safety and HACCP can be found on the FDA Web site.

We hope this Web page can help local seafood businesses learn more about the seafood safety regulations and how to improve their seafood handling operations and that individuals learn what they can do to improve their dining experiences by taking better care of the seafood they catch or buy.

Programs and Information

• HACCP
• Publications
• Recreational Seafood Safety
• Ciguatera
• Pufferfish poisoning
• Red tide
• Scombroid poisoning
• Ready-to-eat seafood
• Chemical contamination
• Handling and cleaning
• Icing

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