IF you're planning on serving seafood this Easter, remember to prepare it safely.
The Food Safety Information Council has reminded Australians to take an insulated container with ice packs or ice when picking up their Easter seafood.
"Easter sees the greatest quantity of seafood sold in Australia so at this busy time consumers need to remember to transport their seafood home from the retailer in an insulated container with ice packs or ice," said council chair Cathy Moir.
"This will not only keep your seafood fresher, it will prevent the growth of bacteria that can make you sick."
They have six simple tips to reduce your risk of food poisoning from seafood you purchase to help keep it safe this Easter:
1. Only purchase your seafood from a reputable registered seafood supplier and check it is visibly fresh and is displayed chilled.
2. Try to get your seafood home as quick as possible in an insulated container with enough ice packs or ice to keep it chilled.
3. Once home put seafood in the fridge in a covered container and make sure your fridge is running at 5°C or below. Live shellfish, such as oysters, should be kept on ice and consumed as soon as possible after shucking.
4. Consume prawns as soon as possible after purchase, while they are at their best and use other refrigerated seafood within 2 to 3 days.
5. If the seafood is going to be cooked this will kill most bacteria. If you choose to consume seafood raw, there could be a slight food safety risk. For example raw oysters or lightly cooked oysters, sushi, sashimi have all caused illnesses. You will need to be particularly careful and hygienic when preparing these raw foods and also handling pre-cooked seafood such as cooked prawns. Any fish which will be eaten raw should be frozen first to kill any parasites that might be present.
6. Seafood eaten raw or cold cooked prawns or cold-smoked salmon are not recommended for pregnant women, people with reduced immune systems or the elderly because of the risk of Listeria.
See more information of seafood safety and remember including two to three serves of fish or seafood each week in your diet is an excellent advantage to health and longevity.
