Recommendations for Selecting and Storing Seafood
Fresh Fish and Shrimp
Only buy fish that is refrigerated or displayed on a
thick bed of fresh ice that is not melting
- Fish should smell fresh and mild, not fishy, sour, orammonia-like.
- A fish’s eyes should be clear and bulge a little.
- Whole fish and fillets should have firm, shiny flesh and bright red
gills free from milky slime.
- The flesh should spring back when pressed.
- Fish fillets should display no discoloration, darkening or drying
around the edges.
- Shrimp flesh should be translucent and shiny with little or no
odor.
- Some refrigerated seafood may have time/temperature indicators on
their packaging, which show if the product has been stored at the proper
temperature. Always check the indicators when they are present and
only buy the seafood if the indicator shows that the product is safe to
eat.
Frozen Seafood
Frozen seafood can spoil if the fish thaws during
transport and is left at warm temperatures for too long.
- Don’t buy frozen seafood if its package is open, torn, or crushed
on the edges.
- Avoid packages that are positioned above the “frost line” or top of
the freezer case.
- Avoid packages with signs of frost or ice crystals, which may mean
the fish has been stored a long time or thawed and refrozen.
Store Properly
Put seafood on ice or in the refrigerator or freezer
soon after buying it. If seafood will be used within 2 days after purchase,
store it in the refrigerator. Otherwise, wrap it tightly in plastic, foil, or
moisture-proof paper and store it in the freezer.