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News
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ODA program keeps an eye on shellfish toxins
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6/1/2011
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Article Content Suggested lead
One of the more popular times to harvest shellfish on the Oregon Coast can also be the most dangerous. Fortunately, someone is keeping an eye on marine toxins that can potentially cause food safety problems:
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Audio 01
Summer brings ideal weather and tidal conditions for recreational harvesting of clams and muscles, says Vance Bybee of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Division:
BYBEE: "But in the summer, there are problems associated with shellfish as well with the algae blooms that can happen, which are associated with higher temperatures." :12
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Those blooms can produce marine toxins such as domoic acid and paralytic shellfish poisoning. ODA's Shellfish Program provides year around sampling and testing to protect the public and the commercial shellfish industry:
BYBEE: "Because the toxins associated with shellfish can have some pretty significant health consequences." :06
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Eating shellfish contaminated with domoic acid or PST can cause illness and, in the most serious cases, can lead to death. ODA samples the shellfish and monitors the waters to make sure toxin levels are well within the safe range. If they aren't, affected portions of the coast are closed to shellfish harvesting. Right now, all beaches and bays are open, but that can change at some point. The public is advised to be aware of the latest conditions and current status. In Salem, I'm Bruce Pokarney.
Additional audio: Audio 03
BYBEE says when marine toxin levels in shellfish are high, the harvesting areas are shut down. That requires posting of signs and enforcement of the closure:
"The Food Safety Division works with the Oregon State Police to monitor the beaches, especially the popular recreational harvest areas, to make sure that when there is a closure, that there aren't people out harvesting shellfish." :19
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Additional audio: Audio 04
BYBEE says an FDA audit of the Shellfish Programs efforts to patrol the areas closed to harvesting received very high marks, meaning the public is generally being protected from shellfish toxins:
"Standards in shellfish are very high because shellfish can be eaten raw and the toxins associated with shellfish can be so very, very dangerous." :10
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Full story
http://oregon.gov/ODA/news/110601shellfish.shtml |
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