Seafood Safety

Can Americans continue to add more seafood to their diets without fear of illness or even death? This volume presents a set of recommendations for ensuring the safety of the seafood supply. It presents an overview of the field, covering seafood consumption patterns, where and how seafood contamination occurs, and the effectiveness of regulation.

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Can Americans continue to add more seafood to their diets without fear of illness or even death? Seafood-caused health problems are not widespread, but consumers are at risk from seafood-borne microbes and toxins—with consequences that can range from mild enteritis to fatal illness.


At a time when legislators and consumer groups are seeking a sound regulatory approach, Seafood Safety presents a comprehensive set of practical recommendations for ensuring the safety of the seafood supply.


This volume presents the first-ever overview of the field, covering seafood consumption patterns, where and how seafood contamination occurs, and the effectiveness of regulation.


A wealth of technical information is presented on the sources of contamination—microbes, natural toxins, and chemical pollutants—and their effects on human health. The volume evaluates methods used for risk assessment and inspection sampling.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
1. Executive Summary
2. Seafood Production, Distribution, and Consumption
3. Microbiological and Parasitic Exposure and Health Effects
4. Naturally Occurring Fish and Shellfish Poisons
5. Occurence of Chemical Contaminants in Seafood and Variability of Contaminant Levels
6. Chemical Health Risk Assessment - Critique of Existing Practices and Suggestions for Improvement
7. Statistical Sampling Issues in the Control of Seafood Hazards
8. Seafood Surveillance and Control Programs
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
Appendix B: Committee on Evaluation of the Safety of Fishery Products Affiliations and Major Research Interests
Index