Seafood is quite nutritious and delicious. Because seafood is delicate, you should be cautious when preparing a meal of choice. Delivery of seafood items from a farm or main waters should be undertaken with much care as you don’t want to spoil the type you choose or love.
Besides working hard on how to prepare your seafood, you should pay attention to how the item of choice is delivered. Seafood is best prepared or eaten fresh, and the best way to meet your needs is to work with experts in the field. It is wise to pay attention to where you seek seafood delivery Sydney.
Most importantly, you should get your freshest premium seafood from reputed dealers. This has to be a team made up of seafood fanatics who guarantee the best quality at the best prices and pay attention to seafood safety.
This article will expound much about seafood delivery and the key facets to consider regarding the safety and quality of seafood. Read here to learn more.
Ensuring Food Safety-Essential Things to Know
There has been huge attention paid to food safety in recent years. Many seafood providers pay much attention to sanitation standards, health, and food safety.
It is a requirement for every company or business that deals with seafood to stay vigilant and monitor manufacturing practices during production. Whether buying seafood from the market or harvesting from your farm, proper handling, storage, and preparation are essential to maintain quality and ensure safety.
To get the most out of the seafood item you choose, you have to fathom the different safety measures to take. Here are essential things to hold at your fingertips:
Buy Seafood Right
When looking for seafood, make sure you get fresh items of choice. Get started by purchasing your seafood from reputable sources. Common places to get your desired seafood item include a seafood market and supermarket.
Other vital things to know include:
- Check and make sure the fresh produce are shiny and firm.
- The seafood item you buy shouldn’t separate from the bone and keep its color before and after cooking.
- Refrigerate the fresh seafood below 40°F and ensure the delivered seafood is well-packed in ice.
- Avoid unwrapped, cooked, or smoked seafood such as crabs, fish, or shrimp. Cross-contamination is quite common.
- If buying frozen seafood, ensure it is at or below 0°F. But quality may decline with time.
- Shun any seafood with ice crystals as it indicates your seafood has been refrozen and thawed.
- Ensure the packages are tightly sealed and free from tears.
Storing Your Seafood
Immediately after delivery, refrigerate your seafood item at 40°F. Ensure you wrap the seafood in air-tight containers and use it within two days of delivery.
Ensure your store has live lobsters, crabs, oysters, mussels, crayfish, and clams in well-ventilated containers. Can also cover them with a damp cloth. Keep the frozen seafood in the original moisture-proof package and at 0°F.
Preparing Your Seafood
It is advisable to separate raw and cooked seafood to prevent the possibility of cross-contamination. Always wash your hands and utensils thoroughly between handling and cooking seafood.
More cooking tips include:
- Cook your seafood to 145°F. If it’s fish, cook until it becomes opaque or flakes easily using a fork.
- To perfectly cook shellfish like oysters, mussels, and clams, open their shells as they cook. They become opaque and plump when perfectly cooked.
- For frozen seafood, make use of the instructions in the package.
- Defrost the seafood item in the refrigerator overnight. Thaw the seafood item in a sealed bag by immersing it in cold water or use the defrost settings on your microwave.
Follow the same cooking techniques you embrace to prepare seafood.
Serving Seafood
Never leave your seafood out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours when temperatures are above 90°F. Bacteria will quickly invade the food at warm temperatures between 40°F and 140°F and cause foodborne illness.
Keep hot seafood hot all the time and cold seafood cold. Never serve your cooked food on the plates you kept the raw products.
More Seafood Safety Tips
It is always wise and healthy to cook seafood thoroughly. It is the best way to minimize the risk of foodborne diseases. If you decide to eat raw seafood, ensure the fish was previously frozen. Freezing will kill the parasite these seafood items contain.
Some people are vulnerable to foodborne illnesses. They can become severely ill, allergic, or even die. This will include:
- Pregnant women
- Older adults
- Children
- People with weakened immune systems
Summing Up
If you like seafood, it is advisable to choose items you are comfortable buying, storing, preparing, and serving. Most importantly, you should get them from reputable suppliers who abide by seafood safety measures. A good seafood dealer will also navigate the educational curve with their consumers and help them buy the best seafood items.
It’s advisable to also abide by set measures or standards for ensuring the safety of food. This is the best way to eliminate bacteria and contaminants that cause foodborne illness and related complications. Do your research and learn from experts on how to buy, store, handle, and cook seafood properly.
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