The USD 143 million (EUR 133 million) North American oyster industry has come up against a litany of food safety challenges heading into the 2023 holiday season, when celebratory shellfish consumption tends to peak.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a series of warnings this year involving different raw oyster products found to be contaminated with pathogens known to cause foodborne illness, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
“Oysters with high levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus can cause illness if eaten raw, and potentially severe illness in people with compromised immune systems,” the FDA said in one of its latest notices issued in November. “Food containing Vibrio parahaemolyticus may look, smell, and taste normal.”…