![\"expert](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/expert-tip-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\nLooking to learn more?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
If you manage a team, and are responsible for the safety practices in your kitchen, our Level 3 Food Hygiene course<\/a> is designed to ensure you gain a detailed, comprehensive understanding of your essential day-to-day responsibilities, including how to implement the basics of a HACCP food safety management system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Unlike meat, shellfish are live when you purchase them. They are highly susceptible to bacterial contamination once they die, meaning that they must be kept cold and alive until you cook or serve them. If your food business follows shellfish safety practices, you can confidently add shellfish dishes to your menu.<\/p>\n This article contains the following sections:<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n Use the links above to navigate to a certain section of the article.<\/em><\/p>\n To purchase shellfish that are healthy and free of contamination, you need to find a reputable supplier. They should be able to prove that they harvest shellfish from classified shellfish beds and purify them at the source <\/strong>\u2013 or that their supplier does.<\/p>\n They must also give you information about traceability<\/strong>. With it, you can buy shellfish with confidence and identify the source if a customer reports food poisoning or if a recall occurs. It\u2019s important that you know where to report a bad batch of shellfish, so authorities can close the original harvesting bed if it\u2019s contaminated.<\/p>\n Visit your local fishmonger to see if they sell high quality shellfish and if ask you can make them your regular supplier. By purchasing and preparing shellfish in the same day, you will maximise freshness and satisfy your diners.<\/p>\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n You want mussels to stay alive and fresh before food preparation, which requires you to keep them cold and wet and allow them to breathe.<\/p>\n Our Food Hygiene Courses<\/a> are designed to ensure a comprehensive knowledge of all food safety and hygiene procedures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you store mussels correctly, they can last for up to 2-3 day<\/strong>s. However, to get the best taste and texture, you should aim to use them on the day of purchase. Plus, listing items on the menu as bought and used on the same day is a great selling point.<\/p>\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Oysters also need to remain alive and cold before food preparation. For best results, store them without shucking (opening the shells). However, if preferred, you can store them shucked \u2013 just make sure they stay upright and away from other foods.<\/p>\n You can store oysters slightly longer than mussels, but still aim to use them within 24 hours to preserve their freshness and flavour. Seafood enthusiasts can tell if your shellfish are fresh and will decide whether to return based on the quality.<\/p>\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Clams are highly perishable, so you must take extra care. Like oysters, clams should feel plump and heavy and be free of odour when purchased. They should also remain closed when you touch them.<\/p>\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Mussel shells should be shiny and dark blue, black, or green. Traditionally, you\u2019d need to clean out sand from mussels, but nowadays shellfish farmers flush them at the source or raise them in an environment that prevents impurities.<\/p>\n You might have been told in the past to throw away shellfish that fail to open when cooked. Although most should open wide, don\u2019t worry if one or two are stubborn; it\u2019s an old wives’ tale that they\u2019re unsafe to eat. As long as the mussels were closed before cooking, then they were alive and fresh and should be safe to eat.<\/p>\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The most common way to cook clams is steaming. Make sure the clams have no broken shells and are still alive before you start to cook them.<\/p>\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Guests usually order oysters to eat raw, but you can cook them in a dish if you choose. To serve raw, you need to open the shells (known as shucking).<\/p>\n Cut under the oyster meat to detach it from the shell and make it easier for diners to eat. Serve them immediately or as soon as possible, but if they don\u2019t go out the door right away, keep them on a tray of ice.<\/p>\n After cooking, you can add whatever seasoning you choose, but be sure to serve them immediately.<\/p>\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n When preparing shellfish for commercial sale, you should always keep in mind that molluscs<\/strong> (including clams, mussels, and oysters) are one of the 14 named allergens<\/a>. Therefore, you must prevent cross-contamination when handling them. Keep shellfish separate from other foods and wash your hands thoroughly after touching them.<\/p>\n Furthermore, when handling any type of shellfish, be gentle. They\u2019re living creatures<\/strong>, and you want to keep them that way for as long as possible. Good shellfish safety ensures you serve your diners seafood dishes that are free of contamination and are the freshest around.<\/p>\n Our shellfish safety guide explains the best practices to follow when cooking and serving mussels, oysters and clams to the public.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":21536,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[700,773],"class_list":["post-21499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-hygiene","tag-food-safety","tag-hospitality"],"acf":{"schema_disabled":false,"schema_properties_FAQPage_question_answer":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_tools":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_supplies":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_steps":null,"schema_properties_WebPage_cssSelector":null,"schema_sameAs_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_override":false},"yoast_head":"\n![\"Shellfish](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/shellfish-safety.jpg\")
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\nHow to Source Your Shellfish<\/h2>\n
![\"Fisherman](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/source-shellfish-oysters.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFollow these guidelines when sourcing shellfish:<\/h3>\n
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![\"Waitress](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/selling-oysters.jpg\")
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\nHow to Store Mussels<\/h2>\n
![\"Mussels\"](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mussels.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTo store mussels, you should:<\/h3>\n
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\nHow to Store Oysters<\/h2>\n
To store oysters, you should:<\/h3>\n
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![\"Oysters](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/oysters-crate.jpg\")
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\nHow to Store Clams<\/h2>\n
To store clams, you should:<\/h3>\n
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![\"Clams](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/store-clams-mesh-bag.jpg\")
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\nHow to Cook Mussels<\/h2>\n
You should follow these tips when cooking mussels:<\/h3>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mussels-soup.jpg\")
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\nHow to Cook Clams<\/h2>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/clams-salad.jpg\")
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\nHow to Cook Oysters<\/h2>\n
To shuck an oyster, you should:<\/h3>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/shucking-oysters.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow to cook oysters:<\/h3>\n
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\nWhat to Read Next:<\/h3>\n
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