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    Home > Food News > Nutrition News > Rumor: Is it true that "purified oysters" can be eaten raw?

    Rumor: Is it true that "purified oysters" can be eaten raw?

    • Last Update: 2021-06-28
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    Oysters are also called sea oysters, another name for oysters
    .

    China is a major producer and marketer of oysters.
    70-80% of global production is in China.
    In addition to raw food, barbecue, cooking, and soup, it is also used to produce oyster sauce and other by-products
    .



    The most classic way to eat raw oysters is of course raw.


    Some people love it, but some people refuse it.


    In recent years, a product called "purified oyster" has gradually appeared on the market
    .

    The business claims that only purified oysters are real oysters that can be eaten raw
    .


    Is that true?

    Oysters are bivalve molluscs, which are filter-feeding animals, that is, like a sieve, the algae and zooplankton in the sea are collected and eaten
    .

    One problem with this life>
    .

        Studies have found that there may be dozens of microplastics in the digestive tract of an oyster
    .

               In addition, it will also inhale pathogenic microorganisms in the seawater, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and norovirus
    .

        Sometimes it is contaminated by other pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, during transportation, sales and production
    .

        For example, Guangdong Province collected 290 oyster samples from 8 cities , among which norovirus contamination rate was the highest in winter, reaching 30% .

        The overall norovirus contamination rate of 480 oyster samples collected in the Guangxi Autonomous Region exceeded 10%
    .

              A farmer’s market in Minhang District, Shanghai has continuously monitored seafood for one year and found that the contamination rate of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters is the highest, reaching 54.


    4 %


        Although it requires a certain amount to cause disease, the risks still cannot be ignored
    .

        For example, the Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the number of people with food poisoning caused by eating oysters and other shellfish in the province exceeds 40,000 per year based on the contamination of marine shellfish by Vibrio parahaemolyticus
    .

        In order to solve these problems, the "purification oyster" technology appeared
    .

        In fact, it is the same reason that it is raised after buying shrimps, crabs, and shellfish to "spit sand", but some processing steps are added
    .

        First, the cultured oysters are moved into purified seawater, then the excrement and algae are removed by circulating water filtration, the soluble organic matter in the water is removed by precipitation technology, and bacteria and other microorganisms are killed by ozone or ultraviolet rays
    .

        Usually after more than 24 hours of purification treatment, the number of pathogenic bacteria will be greatly reduced, which can meet the EU's raw food standards
    .

        Purified oysters are obviously safer than raw oysters without purification, but it is not absolutely safe
    .

        For example , the Q&A on oysters on the US FDA 's official website shows that the Vibrio vulnificus it carries can pose a fatal threat to patients with liver disease, diabetes, and people with low immunity
    .

        The European Food Safety Agency evaluated the Norovirus contamination in oysters in 2012.
    They also believe that the existing purification methods (including the purification of sea ponds) cannot effectively eliminate the risk of virus infection
    .

     

        In addition, there are some problems that cannot be solved by purification technology
    .

        Oysters are naturally attached to growth, so the water quality of the breeding environment determines its quality
    .

        If the aquaculture area is polluted by domestic sewage or industrial and agricultural sewage, oysters can easily accumulate heavy metals, pesticide residues and organic pollutants
    .

        If the water body is eutrophication, oysters will also be enriched in algae toxins
    .

        These are all problems that are difficult to solve by oyster purification technology, so the importance of oyster origin is no less than "whether or not it is purified oysters
    .


    "

               But even in the best-environment bays, the absolute safety of oysters cannot be guaranteed


        Taking the European Union as an example, public information shows that from 2016 to the present, the EU has issued 87 early warnings about oysters , of which 67 are exclusively French oysters , and the vast majority are contaminated by microorganisms such as norovirus


        In other words, even the highest quality oysters may also make you vomit and diarrhea


        What's interesting is that oyster lovers don't seem to care about this, and they are quite persistent in "failed and defeated"


        In the same year, oysters produced in the Gulf of Mexico caused a number of food poisoning incidents in the United States.


        As a result, it was not only the industry that jumped out to oppose it, but consumers did not even buy it


        Sure enough, in front of delicious food, food safety is really not that important


        In short, whether it is purified oysters or imported oysters, it is not recommended to eat them raw


        If you must eat it, try to choose purified oysters from a good producing area as much as possible
    .

        In addition, no matter what seasoning is used, it cannot kill the pathogenic microorganisms inside the oyster
    .

    If you feel unwell after eating, please consult a doctor in time.
    Usually, antibiotics are not needed, and you only need to rehydration and rest in time
    .


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