Supply chain of the Molluscan Shellfish: Overview of Key Food Safety Issues

Molluscan shellfish (hereafter, shellfish), together with finfish, crustaceans and other mollusks, are among the most internationally traded food commodities. Shellfish are low in fat, with a high concentration of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, and provide high quality protein for the human diet, but their consumption, particularly raw or undercooked, is not risk-free. In fact these animals consume organic material through the flow of water from their aquatic environment by specialized filtration systems, and in this way they can hold and even concentrate contaminants, including harmful bacteria and viruses, chemicals and marine biotoxins. From an epidemiological point of view, the foodborne diseases of major concern linked to the consumption of shellfish are caused by enteroviruses, as Noroviruses (NoVs) and Hepatitis A virus (HAV), and pathogenic marine bacteria, as V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus. Considering that it is impossible to determine whether shellfish are contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms without microbiological testing, it is very important to control them at the origin (monitoring of the growing areas) or eliminate them by post-harvest treatments. This review will focus on the key safety issues of the supply chain of shellfish, having regard with the regulatory and supervision rules established in Europe and U.S, with the specific aim to point out criticisms.