How can you select safe seafood?

• Buy only from reputable sources.
• Be wary, for example, of vendors selling fish out of the back of their pick-up trucks.
• Buy only fresh seafood that is refrigerated or properly iced.
• Don't buy cooked seafood, such as shrimp, crabs or smoked fish, if displayed in the same case as raw fish. Cross-contamination can occur.
• Don't buy frozen seafood if the packages are open, torn or crushed on the edges. Avoid packages that are above the frost line in the store's freezer.
• If the package cover is transparent, look for signs of frost or ice crystals. This could mean that the fish has either been stored for a long time or thawed and refrozen.
• Put seafood on ice, in the refrigerator or in the freezer, immediately after buying it.
• Recreational fishers who plan to eat their catch should follow state and local government advisories about fishing areas and eating fish from certain areas.