Korean shellfish may be contaminated with human feces, norovirus

FDA urges stores to remove Korean shellfish

(CNN) -

Korean shellfish shipped to the United States may have been exposed to human feces and potentially contaminated with norovirus, the Food and Drug Administration warned distributors, retailers and other food service operators Thursday.

After evaluating Korea's shellfish sanitation program, the FDA said it found significant deficiencies, including inadequate sanitary controls, ineffective management of land-based pollution sources and the presence of norovirus in shellfish growing areas.

The agency said all fresh, frozen, canned and processed oysters, clams, mussels and whole and roe-on scallops - known as molluscan shellfish - that entered the country from Korea should not be sold.

On May 1 the FDA removed Korean certified shippers of molluscan shellfish from the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List. The list is published monthly by the FDA to show products that have been certified by the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. Korea was on this list but the agency said Korea's shellfish sanitation program no longer meets sanitation standards.

Read the fullreport here: http://www.wmur.com/news/health/FDA-urges-stores-to-remove-Korean-shellfish/-/9857712/14866192/-/view/print/-/12h5bwtz/-/index.html