How to Eat Clams and Protect Yourself from PSP Too
There is a way you can protect yourself from PSP poisoning.
I. Don’t Eat Them: The easiest and best way you can protect yourself from PSP poisoning is to not eat bivalves (clams, mussels, scallops, cockles) from Alaska beaches. Shellfish sold at wholesale and retail markets require PSP testing and are considered safe for human consumption.
II. Know the Species: But if you do eat bivalves from Alaska’s beaches you can reduce your risk by avoiding the most dangerous species, butter clams and blue mussels. Littleneck clams usually do not reach as high of toxicity levels as butter clams and littleneck clam toxicity levels usually drop off quicker than butter clams. The official policy of the state of Alaska is that all shellfish that are untested are unsafe to eat. This includes littleneck clams since there have been recorded toxin levels. Littleneck clams are safer than other shellfish, but there is no guarantee they are safe when there is a PSP problem in the area with other species. If you harvest/consume clams from Alaska beaches you should become familiar with all the clam species. Extreme caution should be taken when consuming any clams, scallops and mussels from Alaska’s beaches.
Crabs feeding on toxic shellfish can accumulate PSP toxin in their digestive system, so I recommend that before cooking, remove the back shell of the crab and clean out all the dark soft tissues that compose the digestive system and crab butter.
III. Practice safe harvest strategy: Catch - Hold - Test
Follow these steps and you will decrease the likelihood of becoming ill from PSP:
1. Identify a beach in the community where a harvest will be scheduled.
2. Notify community members of the harvest location and date.
3. Monitor the beach for toxin levels at least once prior to the harvest date and during the same tide cycle as the harvest by collecting sample(s) of the target species and testing for toxin at the ADEC laboratory (see Appendices A-C). Since this is not a regularly scheduled event and timely notice of results is essential, DEC should be notified in advance of any collection and shipment to be sure the DEC lab has the testing supplies on hand and can provide timely notice. Contact Matthew Forester, Bio-Analysis Section Manager, Department of Environmental Conservation, Environmental Health Lab., Phone: 907.375.8204, Email: Matthew.Forester@Alaska.gov
4. If the samples are acceptable for harvest (less than 80 ug PSP/100 grams of tissue), the community will be notified that the harvest will proceed.
5. The beach boundaries for harvest will be marked, and on the day of harvest, harvesters will be supervised by a selected community representative to assure they are harvesting the correct species and remain within the boundary of the harvest.
6. Harvesters will be instruction to refrigerate and hold their harvest until an official PSP test of the harvest is completed.
7. Sample(s) of shellfish will be taken from the harvest and tested by ADEC laboratory. This should require 24-96 hours.
8. Test results will be delivered to the community and through local broadcast media.
9. Harvesters will be instructed to return the shellfish to the beach if PSP results are unacceptable.
PSP is a public health emergency and should be reported immediately to Alaska Section of Epidemiology by health care providers or citizens. To report, please call 907-269-8000 Mon-Fri 8 AM-5PM, or 1-800-478-0084 after-hours. Early symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of eating toxic shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop. Symptoms may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing. Some people feel nauseous or experience a sense of floating. If a person consumes enough toxin, muscles of the chest and abdomen become paralyzed, including muscles used for breathing, and the victim can suffocate. Death from PSP has occurred in less than 30 minutes.
I. Don’t Eat Them: The easiest and best way you can protect yourself from PSP poisoning is to not eat bivalves (clams, mussels, scallops, cockles) from Alaska beaches. Shellfish sold at wholesale and retail markets require PSP testing and are considered safe for human consumption.
II. Know the Species: But if you do eat bivalves from Alaska’s beaches you can reduce your risk by avoiding the most dangerous species, butter clams and blue mussels. Littleneck clams usually do not reach as high of toxicity levels as butter clams and littleneck clam toxicity levels usually drop off quicker than butter clams. The official policy of the state of Alaska is that all shellfish that are untested are unsafe to eat. This includes littleneck clams since there have been recorded toxin levels. Littleneck clams are safer than other shellfish, but there is no guarantee they are safe when there is a PSP problem in the area with other species. If you harvest/consume clams from Alaska beaches you should become familiar with all the clam species. Extreme caution should be taken when consuming any clams, scallops and mussels from Alaska’s beaches.
Crabs feeding on toxic shellfish can accumulate PSP toxin in their digestive system, so I recommend that before cooking, remove the back shell of the crab and clean out all the dark soft tissues that compose the digestive system and crab butter.
III. Practice safe harvest strategy: Catch - Hold - Test
Follow these steps and you will decrease the likelihood of becoming ill from PSP:
1. Identify a beach in the community where a harvest will be scheduled.
2. Notify community members of the harvest location and date.
3. Monitor the beach for toxin levels at least once prior to the harvest date and during the same tide cycle as the harvest by collecting sample(s) of the target species and testing for toxin at the ADEC laboratory (see Appendices A-C). Since this is not a regularly scheduled event and timely notice of results is essential, DEC should be notified in advance of any collection and shipment to be sure the DEC lab has the testing supplies on hand and can provide timely notice. Contact Matthew Forester, Bio-Analysis Section Manager, Department of Environmental Conservation, Environmental Health Lab., Phone: 907.375.8204, Email: Matthew.Forester@Alaska.gov
4. If the samples are acceptable for harvest (less than 80 ug PSP/100 grams of tissue), the community will be notified that the harvest will proceed.
5. The beach boundaries for harvest will be marked, and on the day of harvest, harvesters will be supervised by a selected community representative to assure they are harvesting the correct species and remain within the boundary of the harvest.
6. Harvesters will be instruction to refrigerate and hold their harvest until an official PSP test of the harvest is completed.
7. Sample(s) of shellfish will be taken from the harvest and tested by ADEC laboratory. This should require 24-96 hours.
8. Test results will be delivered to the community and through local broadcast media.
9. Harvesters will be instructed to return the shellfish to the beach if PSP results are unacceptable.
PSP is a public health emergency and should be reported immediately to Alaska Section of Epidemiology by health care providers or citizens. To report, please call 907-269-8000 Mon-Fri 8 AM-5PM, or 1-800-478-0084 after-hours. Early symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of eating toxic shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop. Symptoms may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing. Some people feel nauseous or experience a sense of floating. If a person consumes enough toxin, muscles of the chest and abdomen become paralyzed, including muscles used for breathing, and the victim can suffocate. Death from PSP has occurred in less than 30 minutes.