Are You a Fan of Oysters?

"What did one oyster say to the other?"

"Can I come over and pry you open?"

If you love oysters, but are afraid to eat them raw, have no fear, Be Oyster Aware is here to guide you on your oyster journey.

Did you know that Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that occurs naturally in warm, unpolluted seawater? Because this bacterium occurs naturally, it also means that people who love finfish, crustaceans, and mollusks, will have a good liklihood of having this bacterium enter their body.

This bacterium can be transmitted to a person through eating uncooked seafood or exposure of wounds to contaminated seawater. Once an individual is infected, replication of the bacteria within tissues is rapid. Although, healthy individuals are at no serious risk of infection.

If you think you might have one of these conditions:

Liver Disease (from hepatitis, cirrhosis, alcoholism, or cancer), Iron overload disease (hemochromatosis),Diabetes, Cancer (including lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease), Stomach Disorders or any illness or medical condition that weakens the body’s immune system*, it is a good idea you only eat cooked or post harvest process oysters.

Did you know, that Gulf Coast Oysters go through three post harvest processes to ensure the oysters you eat, will be good for you and you will enjoy?

That is right, Gulf Coast Oysters go through individual quick-freezing, low heat pasteurization or heat-cool pasteurization, and high-hydrostatic pressure.

Although these technologies currently account for less than 10% of all oyster sales in the United States, on-going marketing and educational efforts geared toward the at-risk consumer are expanding acceptance and knowledge regarding these oyster products.

Gulf oysters