Oysters are served all over the state of Florida, and plenty of restaurant patrons enjoy downing a few oysters on the half shell with a few drinks - Gulf oysters are a part of who we are in Florida! You may or may not have ever read the fine print about oysters that SHOULD appear on all of the menus that list oysters. Did you know that steps are being taken to ensure more people can enjoy oysters without worrying about the health concerns? Many oyster processors are now putting oysters through a freezing or pasteurization process to reduce the risk of passing on Vibrio vulnificus illness to you. This is a big change from how oysters were served without any processing, which meant more people got sick from raw oysters.

BeOysterAware.com has more information on the risks of eating raw oysters, and how to minimize those risks, as well as advancements in the processing of oysters that are making oysters safer for all of us to consume. Of course, if you meet certain criteria, you should avoid raw oysters - for example, if you’re pregnant, or if you have a condition that weakens your immune system. If you did get the Vibrio vulnificus illness, your body may not be able to fight it off, and no oyster is worth a hospital visit. If you do have a condition like this, just make sure to eat your oysters full cooked, like in a delicious soup or stew!

This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Colleen, Health Issues, Good Eats. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.