Until I took this assignment, I hadn’t thought about this in a long time-when my parents were on their “Grand European Tour” honeymoon, which they took a year after getting married, one of the things they did while in Italy was eat raw oysters on the half shell. After doing so, my mother got very sick with gastroenteritis (um, vomiting and diarrhea are the main symptoms). It turns out that raw oysters can contain a bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus, which is a naturally occurring bacteria in warm waters that can be dangerous to individuals with certain chronic ailments, such as:
• Liver Disease (from hepatitis, cirrhosis, alcoholism, or cancer)
• Iron overload disease (hemochromatosis)
• Diabetes
• Cancer (including lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease)
• Stomach Disorders
• Or any illness or medical condition that weakens the body’s immune system*
Because my Mother had juvenile diabetes from the time she was seven, she was definitely at-risk. Unfortunately for her, the Centers for Disease Control didn’t identify the bacteria until 1964. Now there is a website called Be Oyster Aware that is dedicated to educating the public on both the benefits and the risks of eating raw oysters.
Many people love to eat raw oysters. They are a low calorie source of protein, an excellent source of zinc and vitamin B-12, and also provide omega-3 fatty acids. And apparently, a lot of people think they taste good, too. Three new processes are now being used to treat Gulf oysters so that they can be consumed raw but won’t be dangerous to at-risk individuals. These post-harvest processes are: 1. IQF or Individually Quick Freeze, which flash-freezes the oysters but doesn’t change the taste or texture when they are thawed and eaten, 2. HCP or Heat-Cool pasteurization, which involves submerging the oysters in hot water and then immediately into cool water, and 3. HHP or High pressurization processing.
So there you go. If you like to eat raw oysters, and you want to be absolutely safe, ask if they have been post-harvest processed to protect them from bacteria. This post and this important health safety message have been brought to you by:
Living most of my life near the water the hazards of raw seafood have always been in the back of my mind. Raw tuna is often another source of potential illness. Typically here the issues arise in late summer as water temperatures rise but in general it’s recommended that all seafood be cooked.
The HHP seems to taste the best from my experience for what it is worth.
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Heather, thank you for your comment! It’s great to hear from someone who can offer an opinion on how the post-harvest processes affect the taste of the oysters.
We didn’t know this, about some people being at risk eating raw oysters.
It’s a good thing to find out that there are ways to protect our customers, and still offer a good product.
Thank you , thank you, thank you for passing on this information!
James