Utah Again Earns Certification
for National Shellfish Safety Program

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Salt Lake City – The UDAF’s Division of Regulatory Services has again been certified to participate in the FDA’s National Shellfish Safety Program. This program is designed to reduce shellfish related illnesses and deaths among consumers. Without the program Utah’s shellfish wholesalers cannot ship shellfish to other states. Currently, shellfish are shipped to all surrounding states.

The Division’s shellfish inspection program recently underwent and passed an FDA review. The review found the UDAF’s inspection program to be in compliance with the requirements of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.
“It is important for the Department to participate in this program as a means to promote and protect good public health policy,” said UDAF’s Quincy Boyce, the State’s Shellfish Standardization Officer.

Shellfish, identified as oysters, clams and mussels, are imported into Utah in bulk shipments by a number of businesses that repackage and distribute the product to restaurants, food service companies and grocery stores in Utah and surrounding states. UDAF inspectors make periodic visits to distribution centers to assure that nationally accepted shellfish handling practices are adhered to.

Shellfish, like most other food products are required to be packaged and shipped with trace-back-to-origin documentation to aid in recalls and other regulatory action designed to protect consumer health.
Such documentation is designed to offer assurances that shellfish do not originate from contaminated waters such as certain areas associated with the Gulf oil spill.

 

 

Posted December, 2010