FUN FACTS

  • “Oysters are the canary for the Nation’s coastal water quality”
  • “Clam farms are one form of aquaculture that actually enhances the Nation’s coaster waters”
  • There are over 160 species of clams around the world
  • There are over 200 species of oysters around the world
  • Oysters are filter feeders; which creates taste and texture
  • Gulf Oyster- large, firm and briny
  • Pacific Oyster- large, soft, cucumber notes
  • Kumamoto- small, creamy, hints of melon
  • European Flats- medium, metallic, trace hazelnut
  • Olympia- tiny, coppery, smokey
  • Nutritional Value of raw oysters and clams

Average Range

– Calories 60 50-70
– Protein 8.0 g 7.5-10.5 g
– Fat (lipids) 1.9 g 0.6-4.1 g
– 25% saturated fat
– 37% polyunsaturated fat
– 21% omega- 3 fatty acids
– Cholesterol 47 mg 23- 63 mg
– Potassium (K) 176 mg 58- 229 mg
– Sodium (Na) 100 mg 57- 496 mg
– Phosphorus (P) 126 mg 57- 240 mg
– Calcium (Ca) 74 mg 17-350 mg
– Zinc (Zn) 75 mg 6-117 mg
– Copper (Cu) 2 mg 1-16 mg
– Iron (Fe) 5 mg 3-11 mg
– Selenium (Se) 0.07 mg 0.03-0.1 mg

 

  • 1 dozen oysters provides 100% of the daily-advised intake of vitamin B-12, which is necessary
    for normal function of the nervous system and for production of red blood cells.
  • Oysters have a minimum size limit:
    • 3” greatest dimension established in Florida in 1957
  • Keys to sustaining oyster resources
    • Construct oyster habitat
    • Restore depleted populations
    • Re-seed
    • Aquaculture
  • Sensory Evaluations: flavor, appearance aroma and texture are extremely important attributes
  • Hard to measure:
    • Have to use humans, not lab instruments
    • People do not speak the same sensory language
  • Panelists were trained (90 hours) to identify the attributes and to consistently
    rate the levels of attributes

    • They evaluate:
      • Appearance
      • Color (body, edges, shell)
      • Oyster Liquor: milky, bubbles, volume, surface tension, color
      • Oyster Meat: shattered, volume of meat, plumpness, adductor muscle, tactile-fork feel
      • Aroma
      • Basic tastes
      • Flavor and aftertastes
      • Texture and mouth-feels
  • Oyster product safety
      • Processing operations are validated for compliance for non-detectiable levels of Vibriosin oyster products
      • Validations are submitted for approval to FDA and state authorities
      • Products can be routinely verified to assure absence of hazardous bacteria.
      • The lab maintains routine product evaluations for bacteria and potential hazards due to Vibrio spp.
  • Packaging of oysters:
    • Shellstock: unwashed or washed — — What the troff carries
    • Bags or boxes
    • Bushels of oysters are sold in 60 or 80lb bags
    • Oyster packages all have a traditional tag
      • Tags have to be held in house for 90 days
  • All oysters and oyster products must comply with all Federal, State and Local regulations including HACCP and cGMP
  • Each product must have the sell-by- date or shucked date clearly stamped or printed on the package, label or tag (state of Florida requites 14 days from harvest Shellstock, 14 days sale-by-date for small shucked meat containers and shucked date on containers 64oz or larger.)