Seafood Prepping Tips Enjoy the healthful benefits of seafood, at least two meals a week. 1. Keep seafood cold* between store and home. Store immediately in refrigerator. 2. Use fresh fish within 1-2 days or wrap tightly and freeze immediately. 3. Thaw seafood overnight under refrig- eration. 4. Keep raw seafood separate from cooked/ready-to-eat foods. Prevent raw/thawing seafood from dripping on other foods. 5. Refrigerate live (in shell) clams or oys- ters in shallow pan (no water). Cover with damp towel to maintain humidity. Use clams/mussels within 2-3 days and oysters within 7 days. Discard gaping shellfish that do not clamp shut when tapped. 6. Refrigerate shucked shellfish; use within 3 days. 7. Cook live lobsters or crabs the same day purchased. 8. Cook seafood to internal temperature of 145o F for 15 seconds (fish becomes opaque and flaky; shrimp/scallops turn firm and opaque). *Connecticut Sea Grant has insulated bags for $3 each. Call 860-408-9128. “Training 75 to 100 seafood processors and regulators each year, Balcom said she and Pivarnik have trained more than 2,000 individuals in HACCP principles over the past 20 years.” in Narragansett. No exam is given to stu- dents at the end of the class, but they build experience developing plans for different seafood products as a group exercise to help them immediately apply what they learn once they return to their own busi- nesses. That is in everyone’s best interest. “The test comes when the FDA comes in and inspects them,” Balcom said. Balcom and Pivarnik team­up to teach the three day standardized class for indus- try and regulators, as well as a one-day practical course that, in combination with an online course offered through Cornell University, also meets the FDA training requirement. Since 1999, Balcom has offered eight equivalent HACCP train- ing courses specifically for Connecticut shellfishermen under the auspices of the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference —the only trainer to do so. Connecticut’s shellfish harvesters are all licensed as seafood dealers, so they fall under the FDA HACCP regulation. Finally, since 2001, as a School to Career offering, Balcom has taught the standardized industry course 13 times for senior high school students at The Sound School in New Haven, Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center (BRASTEC) and Grasso Tech in Groton, training 291 students who focus primarily on aquaculture. The newest group afforded that oppor- tunity were the 17 students from Lyman Hall and Sound School who gathered at the New Haven campus over four days this spring. The HACCP certification training is part of the requirements for Sound School seniors taking the Shellfish Production course. “It provides a school-to-career oppor- tunity for them,” Balcom said. “Whether they go on to college or start working for industry, the knowledge gained in the class will serve them well. It will make them more viable candidates for working in the seafood industry.” TOOLS & TRAINING 2017 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION 13